[trekky1700]

I also have a bad Diet Coke habit. Drink cans and cans a day. I hear Elon Musk and Bill Gates also drink copious amounts. I wonder what it is about Diet Coke that's so addictive.

[gojomo]

Caffeine and phenylalanine, in addition to the sweetness-without-actual-energy that is likely backfiring to create further sweet-cravings.

(I wouldn't be surprised if research eventually concludes regular Coke is safer than Diet Coke, even given the problems with HFCS. So, if trying to quite Diet Coke, you might 1st want to try substituting regular Coke... which you might find more satiating and thus consume less of, by volume.)

[jheriko]

I'm not sure you can describe an essential amino acid as an addictive substance... sure there is a strong desire to consume it, but its closer to things like oxygen, water or any vital thing that keeps you alive.

Caffeine on the other hand has a well understood and documented mechanism of physical dependence, but its considered extremely mild compared to substances traditionally considered addictive (nicotine, alcohol)...

[beat]

I don't have much of a sweet craving. I turn down dessert much of the time, don't like candy generally.

What Diet Coke makes me crave is starches - "crunchy salt" in my wife's parlance. Potato chips, popcorn, crackers, stuff like that.

[cpeterso]

Yep, there are a couple recent studies showing diet sodas have no weight loss benefit over regular soda.