Of all of the vicious, disgusting things to do, here’s a campaign by Coca-Cola that is so duplicitous that it defies belief:
Coca-Cola, the world’s largest producer of sugary beverages, is backing a new “science-based” solution to the obesity crisis: To maintain a healthy weight, get more exercise and worry less about cutting calories. The beverage giant has teamed up with influential scientists who are advancing this message in medical journals, at conferences and through social media.
Of course, exercise has no impact on weight loss (as I know only too well after going from zero exercise to gym 3 times a week and walking 1,5 hours every goddamn day with no change in my weight whatsoever) but many people are duped by the ads for exercise equipment into believing there is.
Exercise is great, and my overall health has improved greatly after I started exercising over a year and a half ago. But any suggestion that one can eat as much as one might want without gaining weight is simply criminal.
Fuck you, Coca-Cola.
Clarissa's Blog 
Relatedly, did you watch That Sugar Film or plan to?
The dude decides to stunt eat 40 teaspoons of sugar a day (the average amount of sugar Aussies 19-30 eat) from “healthy” food for 60 days after he had been sugar free for 3 years. He keeps the amount of physical activity and calories the same.
It’s not good for him, obviously The WHO recommends that free sugars be less than 10% of your total calorie intake or about 25 grams/6 teaspoons.
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No, I haven’t heard about this film. But thank you for the recommendation. I like this kind of documentaries.
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The guy who made the documentary is an idiot, like the American filmmaker who “documented” that he could ruin his health by eating nothing but McDonald’s burgers for a prolonged period.
You might as well make a “documentary” demonstrating that if you jump off the Empire State Building without a parachute you’ll die when you hit the sidewalk.
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Yes, the McDonald’s movie was hilarious! Somehow we knew back in Ukraine when our first McDonald’s was opened in 1994 that it was unhealthy food. But Americans needed complex ploys to figure that out. It was absolutely hilarious to watch.
The guy’s snake of a girlfriend was funny, too. I don’t like the word “pussy-whipped” but the guy was that in spades.
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Actually, the one million “selfie stick” give-away was enough reason for me …
Physical activity at least for me helps considerably, but I often have to take it to extremes, such as carrying around a 20 kg pack for many miles. On a good day, I can burn off 4500 kcals or more doing such a thing.
So now I’m imagining that Coca-Cola’s plan is for everyone to start carrying around a twelve-pack of half-litre bottles in a rucksack so they don’t have to worry about the calories contained in it. 🙂
Oh, right, and they also get to log twelve quid in sales for each person who does it, so they look good in multiple ways …
[we have now reached British establishment levels of cynicism, please lash yourself to the railings because this may continue to be a bumpy ride …]
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Nah, nothing is as cynical as this commercial. It practically says world peace will come through everyone drinking Coke.
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How do they think people won’t NOTICE?
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It’s a message people want to hear, that’s the problem. It’s seductive.
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There’s also the point that, while weight is obviously an important factor, it may well be that the sugar being consumed is the real factor. A number of recent studies are suggesting this. I’m thinking of the ones published in NEJM in particular.
Obviously Coke (and other soda companies) have reasons to wish this weren’t so.
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The original breaker of that story was Yoni Freedhoff, a Canadian doctor specializing in obesity medicine. He runs one of my favourite medical blogs, Weighty Matters, and talks about all of the ridiculous neoliberal partnerships between food corporations and public health initiatives, like “buy a burger to cure MS” and “Buy krispey kreme donuts for diabetes research”.
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I wasn’t aware of this great blog. Thank you for the recommendation!
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