Everyone remembers the oh so funny scene in Hilary Duff’s A Cinderella Story, when the chubby customer orders a whole tone of unhealthy foods, and then finishes his order with a diet coke claiming “to be watching his weight”, and the waitresses witty come back of “oh it’s not going anywhere”. It was extremely chuckle worthy and did raise the valid point that diet coke isn’t doing to change your weight, especially is you aren’t going to make any other diet modifications, but I feel as though due to this, and many other jokes regarding diet coke, a stigma has been forever attached to diet coke drinkers. But what about those who don’t and never did buy into the “diet’ of diet coke, and simply just prefer the taste to that over that of the regular coke?

Every time I order a diet coke I’ve heard friends remind me time and time again that it’s no healthier than regular coke, or even just my feeling self-conscious that people are going to assume that I’m drinking diet coke because I foolishly believe that it’s going to make a difference to my diet or weight. There have been numerous times when I’ve heard the “oh I don’t get how someone can order a big mac and then a diet coke, and think it’s going to make a difference”, only for me to turn around and do the same thing. But no I’m not stupid! I know diet coke won’t make me lose weight, I just really like the taste of diet coke, and hate the taste of regular, is that so hard to believe? 

I’m so tired of hearing people preach the negative sides to diet coke, but then turn around and order themselves a normal coke, NEWSFLASH! All coke is bad for you! If you’re going to voice your opinion on something, don’t be hypocritical. It’s not as if regular cokes are made out of all natural ingredients, and diet coke isn’t, they all are chemicals, and none of them are going to benefit your health in anyway. If you are going to order a soft drink at the movie theaters, don’t scold me on my preference of soft drink. I’m my opinion it’s just like the pot calling the kettle black. I have never picked diet coke over regular for its health purposes, to be honest I only started drinking it because my older cousins drank it and when I was younger I wanted to fit in. Peer pressure my friends.

Now because of this I’ve just grown to not like regular coke, but I don’t like coke zero either, which is just another point proving I don’t drink it for health purposes. I just feel like normal coke makes my teeth gritty and diet doesn’t. Maybe it’s all in my head but I think diet coke sort of tastes vanilla flavoured, and I like vanilla flavoured things.

I just think people need to stop regarding diet coke as this huge health maker or breaker. If you really care about your health my suggestion would be to stop drinking pop all together, because really they’re all shitty for you. I don’t drink diet coke every day, sometimes I do more than I should, but like any other artificial thing, it’s a treat, and should be consumed in moderation.

But if I’m going to drink pop, I will most probably choose diet coke, and I would like to stop being judged for my preference. If I’m going to choose to put chemicals into my body, I would at least like to know that I can pick and choose which chemicals I would like to consume without others judging me. I don’t judge people for drinking and liking Normal coke, nor do I remind them of their calorie count, so don’t remind me of my chemical count, and judge me for liking the sweet taste of aspartame.