A 20-year-old woman has revealed she is “obsessed” with fizzy drinks – spending up to £90 a month.
Natasha claims to drink between 2-4 litres of Pepsi Max every day – and has done for the past four years.
The aspiring beauty blogger, from Southampton, has gone viral sharing her “strange addiction” on TikTok in a video that has gone viral with 700,000 views.
In the clip, she claims to get withdrawals including migraines if she goes without fizzy drinks for 24 hours, and “drinks Pepsi Max like she breathes oxygen”.
The young woman said she originally started drinking it due to having low blood sugar.
“I was recommended [by a doctor] to drink sugary drinks so I would do that every day but eventually that led into getting addicted to them,” Natasha told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“Pepsi Max has no sugar, it’s cheaper than full sugar drinks, so I started to drink that instead – although I would say it’s a fizzy drink addiction rather than specifically Pepsi Max addiction.
“[I spend] anywhere between £70-£90 per month.
“Some people like to snack on foods whereas I like to drink things – everything from water to coffee, milkshakes, tea and of course Pepsi Max.
“To me it’s like a snack.
“I don’t enjoy eating much so I feel like it’s my version of having, say, a chocolate bar or something.”
However, the “obsession” with fizzy drinks doesn’t come without its concerns.
Natasha said: “My heart rate is very fast – just walking upstairs gets me close to passing out.
“However, I am already anaemic and I struggle to eat food so I’m unsure if it correlates.
“I do tend to get bad withdrawals from fizzy drinks.
“I get a bad migraine and sometimes can’t walk well.”
In the TikTok, Natasha explains: “I’ve drank at least two litres of Pepsi Max every single day for four years.
“I’m not joking, I’m not exaggerating – if you know me in real life, you know this to be true.
“Disgusting that when I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is get a glass of Pepsi.
“I haven’t even gone to the toilet yet and I’m having a glass of Pepsi.
“I f***ing love Pepsi Max with my whole being.
“I shake and sweat and I get a really bad migraine if I don’t drink Pepsi in 24 hours.
“That should be the wake-up call but it’s not.
“I used to bring a two-litre bottle of Pepsi into my [school] classes and just put it on the table and just drink out of it.”
Natasha joked that she has always been a “very reliable friend” as if a pal needs a fizzy drink, they can count on her to have a “massive” bottle of soda.
She added: “There was never a day I went to school without a bottle of Pepsi Max.
“If no one’s buying Pepsi Max, I’m dead.”
Social media users have been left shocked by the confession.
One person commented: “Imagine how much money you’ve spent on it in the last 4 years.”
“A mouth full of Pepsi first thing in the morning is a terrifying thought,” said another user.
Someone else added: “This was me until I became riddled with kidney stones and stayed in hospital for agonising treatment, not worth it! Stones left in both kidneys!”
“I am not all judging but like how??? Soda hurts my stomach so bad,” said another viewer.
One person commented: “This is insane.”
“I’m flabbergasted,” another user agreed.
Jam Press has contacted Pepsi Max for comment.
