So what does this mean to the "average" user?

Which has a worse effect on insulin response, a can of regular coke or a diet coke?

If they're the same then apart from calories it doesn't matter which you drink.

If, otoh, sucralose sweetened soda has half the response (knowing that you only need one-tenth as much of it to sweeten the soda) then it makes sense to have the diet soda. Or if it's one to one response by mass, then a diet coke would have one-tenth the insulin response and is better for both that AND calorie reasons.

THOSE are the questions a "regular" human wants to know the answer to. The medical community should start answering that kind of question in clear language, not the bafflegab you just wrote.