I was never really a soda drinker so it's hard for me to fathom that so many people still consume Coke, Pepsi and other such garbage (some of the new fangled energy drinks are probably just as bad). Physical addiction plays a role as well but you can manage your addictions to some degree. For example, I'm certainly addicted to caffeine but I stick to a couple of cups of black coffee or tea which may not be ideal but it's preferable to caffeinated soda or energy drinks. There's certainly no shortage of info out there. Same with all the fast food. I guess social conditioning is more powerful than reason in many ways. Alcohol and various drugs are similar as they are part of certain social scenes and subcultures, which is at least as important as the physically addictive qualities.