I’m addicted to Coca-Cola: doctor says it can’t do any harm
Annick is addicted to Coca-Cola. Although everyone around her expresses their concerns, Annick happily keeps drinking it. At least 2 litres a day. ‘I’m really in a panic when I don’t have Coca-Cola in my fridge.’
‘My love for Coca-Cola started when I was young. We were on holiday in Slovenia and I drank Cockta. I thought it was delicious. Once back home, when I was about eight, I was given a bottle of Coca-Cola. It may sound strange, drinking soft drinks at eight, but things were more normal back then. People didn’t make such a fuss about carbonated drinks for children. I was also simply given Coca-Cola to take to school. Try doing that now! Ridiculous—you’d have Youth Care on your doorstep straight away.
Coca-Cola collection
I was a real Coca-Cola fan. I had a Coca-Cola room with a red wall on which my father had painted a white Coca-Cola swoosh . I slept under a red-and-white striped duvet. My girlfriends collected stamps, and I collected Coca-Cola merchandise. Stickers, cups, posters; I liked everything as long as it had Coca-Cola on it.
I’ve always thought Coca-Cola was delicious, but in recent years—I’m 57 by now—it has really become an addiction. I don’t have any other addictions, I don’t smoke, never have, and I don’t drink alcohol, never have either. But when I don’t have Coca-Cola in my fridge, I really panic. There are also always a few bottles in my car boot to take to work and cans for the road. In a small fridge, because it tastes best cold. I drink it until I go to bed. And yes, that’s at least 2 litres of Coca-Cola a day. Often much more. Office drinks, birthdays, festivals… While other people drink alcohol, I have another Coke.
No Pepsi!
I stopped drinking regular Coca-Cola years ago. It contains a lot of sugar. I switched to the light version and by now it’s been zero for a while. And yes, there really is a difference between light and zero. Even my grandchildren point out Coca-Cola zero in the supermarket: ‘that’s Grandma’s cola’, they say. They also call me ‘Grandma Cola’.
I don’t drink Pepsi. If I’m going out to eat or drink, my first question is whether they have real cola. Coca-Cola, that is. Otherwise I’d rather have Ginger Ale. I’m not a food barbarian and I don’t eat Whoppers. In fact, I really love good food. At Michelin-starred restaurants, I don’t dare order Coca-Cola. Cola with your meal isn’t always accepted. At least, that’s how it feels to me.
Coca-Cola on special offer
Coca-Cola used to be very cheap. I remember a holiday in Greece—I was about sixteen—a bottle cost 30 cents! Try finding that now. ‘Coca-Cola on special offer’ is my most popular Google search term. I keep a close eye on the offers and will take a detour for a good deal. Because it isn’t cheap. Not at all! A 1.5-litre bottle costs €2.38, plus €0.25 deposit. It’s not good for my wallet, and of course it isn’t healthy either.
I know Coca-Cola is used, for example, to remove rust from screws. It has a very high acidity and is therefore bad for your teeth—even though it contains no sugar. It does contain aspartame. My daughter says that sweetener is carcinogenic. When I tell her, ‘You have to die of something, right?’, she gets absolutely furious.
High amounts of aspartame
I did go to the doctor recently, but he only reassured me. According to my GP, you would have to consume very high amounts of aspartame before it becomes harmful. I don’t think I need to worry. And it’s approved by the FDA, isn’t it?
Even though I went to the doctor, my children keep saying that I should stop. Or at least cut down significantly. My friends have been saying it for years too. But what’s the problem? I’m never ill, never suffer from bloating and don’t have any cavities either. At most, my teeth are no longer brilliantly white, but I don’t even know whether that’s because of Coca-Cola. If this is my only guilty pleasure, just let me enjoy it!’
Annick’s name has been changed for privacy reasons. Her real name is known to the editorial team. Would you also like to share a personal story (anonymously!)? You can email us at info@favorflav.com
Also read:
- Unbelievable. Surely you don’t send a Tikkie for this?!
- Being called morbidly obese on a terrace: there’s a lot of suffering
- Guusje isn’t allowed sweets: ‘what a load of nonsense’
