I was at work late, and downed three cans in an hour. Then, one night, I overdosed on Diet Coke. I reasoned that because it makes you feel full, it keeps you from overeating and becoming obese, ignoring the studies that showed that diet sodas may actually stimulate appetite. I reasoned that Diet Coke wasn’t so bad, because it had zero calories. (Osteoporosis is the bone disease that causes older people to shrink and stoop.) I ignored the doctors who said that soda leads to osteoporosis. I ignored the dentists’ warnings that carbonated drinks disintegrate your teeth. If the soda was served in a glass at a restaurant, I liked the look of it: dark, bubbly, with a tower of glistening ice cubes. I loved that first sip, feeling the fizz on my tongue and tasting the dark brown Splenda-laced liquid. I loved opening the can and hearing it pop. I loved wrapping my hand around an ice-cold can. If I didn’t have one, I’d feel like my whole afternoon was shot.ĭrinking a Diet Coke for me was almost a sensual experience.
I used to be a Diet Coke addict for years. However, diet sodas will continue to be sold to students. Earlier this year, big soda companies like PepsiCo have vowed to remove full-calorie sodas from machines in schools by 2012. While I think the Fizzyfish is cool, I feel mixed about this vending machine. Click for more info on this week's items. There are 10 different types of drinks from the vending machine. Image from the official Pet Society blog.