About Coke for breakfast... when I was in college on an international study trip (to London!) one of my fellow students ate potato chips and Coke for breakfast. She was 25 at the time, a little bitty thing, and said that had been her breakfast of choice since she was a wee lassie. Our cook at the house we were staying said his little girls wanted to visit America really bad so they could have Coke and crisps for breakfast too!

The college cafeteria's coffee was SO BAD (coffee-scented brown water, like AGent Cooper on Twin PEaks used to say) that I would have cola with my breakfast.

Bagpuss, I have never had that particular experience with a diet soda... probably because I am usually eating something with it, and probably also because I drink them very rarely. At home I will have a diet ginger ale (or glass of wine!) with supper, but at work all day it's coffee and water. We have a filtered water dispenser in my office that's just Fab. Also I drink plenty of water when I work out, and at hot outdoor events like camping or whatever.

I rarely have a fully-leaded soda anymore as I do not want to gain back the 16 lbs I lost. I do make exceptions for Sonic's Cherry Limeade, though, and summer's comin!

Water is your friend! My theory is this, though... a lot of people's tap water tastes disgusting, and there are others who don't want to pay for drinking water. So they end up not having any. Decent drinking water can be found, though, for under $1 a gallon.