Coca-Cola remains under fire for producing unhealthy beverages that have fueled the obesity epidemic. The beverages have a high calorie content due to levels of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). To protect their brand, the company launched a Coca-Cola Anti-Obesity Ad.
Coca-Cola Launches Anti-Obesity Ad
Pushing Back Against Accusations of Contributing to Obesity
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage corporation and widely known for the soda Coke and Diet Coke. It has a vested interest in protecting against the threat of junk food laws and the ban on “big gulp” sodas in New York City.
Aimed at addressing the corporation’s role in the obesity epidemic, a 2-minute Coca-Cola Anti-Obesity Ad was launched in January 2013. The first Coca-Cola anti-obesity ad is named “Coming Together.”
According to the Associated Press, consumption of sugary drinks and obesity rates in America have risen together, doubling since the 1970s. The Coca-Cola Company says it is reinforcing its efforts to work together with American communities, business and government leaders to find meaningful solutions to the complex challenge of obesity.
The Coca-Cola anti-obesity ad maintains the company can play an important role in the fight against obesity. The company credits itself for having 180 low or no-calories beverage choices sweetened with aspartame among its line of 650 sugar-sweetened beverages.
The Coca-Cola anti-obesity ad goes on to encourage people to be mindful that all calories count in managing weight. That includes calories in Coca-Cola products as well as calories in all foods and beverages.
Research Contradicts Coca-Cola’s Claim
Research contradicts this implication made in the Coca-Cola anti-obesity ad that all calories are equal. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that calories from sugar-sweetened beverages like Coca-Cola are substantially different than calories from food. The more sugary drinks someone consumes, the greater the risk of becoming obese.
Additional studies on sugar-sweetened beverages have found more health concerns that differentiate the calories in soda from the calories in food. HFCS is absorbed more rapidly than regular sugar, and it does not stimulate leptin or insulin production. This prevents the triggers that send signals to the body that it has reached satiety, and can lead to overconsumption of calories.
A research team from Princeton Universtiy concluded that high-fructose corn syrup increases body fat more than sugar. Experiments were done on rats, which found that every single rat who drank high-fructose corn syrup became obese. This was true even though the HFCS levels the rats consumed were well below the HFCS levels in soda pop.
Regarding low or no-calorie beverages, the long-term toxic side effects of aspartame are well-documented. What’s more, sodas labeled as “diet” that contain the chemical aspartame are not going to help you lose weight. The fact is aspartame makes you crave carbohydrates and eat more food.
What You Can Do
The bottom line is that Coca Cola is contraindicated for weight loss. The contentions made in the Coca-Cola anti-obesity ad are highly questionable and subject to scrutiny. Despite this, nearly half of Americans drink soda on a daily basis. Read “Fixing Our Obesity Epidemic.”
What you can do: Read the food labels and skip anything that contains high-fructose corn syrup, glucose, fructose, glucose-fructose syrup, aspartame, AminoSweet, NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Canderel. Stay away from processed beverages and make your own flavored waters and fresh brewed teas.
Living life larger than ever,
My Bariatric Life
Photo: LiberalsUnite
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