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Subscribe to RSSThe TODAY anchors, joined by rapper 50 Cent, chat about the topics making headlines today, including a new ad campaign by Coca-Cola that calls obesity "the issue of a generation," which has some critics protesting.
For the first time ever, a big soda company is launching a campaign to combat obesity. The Coca-Cola Co., fighting back on how the sweet calories in sugary sodas have become a health policy and obesity bogeyman lately, kicks off its initiative with a new epic two-minute ad called "Coming Together." It's live online and begins airing tonight on CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. The spots underline how getting fat comes from consuming excessive calories from any number of sources, and that sodas aren't the only source of weight-increasing calories.
The ad is a montage of video clips like children exercising, scientists testing plants, and a rapid-fire series of a multiethnic smiling faces. While these images play, a female voiceover intones: "Beating obesity will take action by all of us, based on one simple common sense fact: All calories count. No matter where they come from. Including Coca-Cola and everything else with calories. And if you eat and drink more calories than you burn off, you'll gain weight."
Coca-Cola Co. spokesperson Diana Garza Ciarlante told TODAY the campaign's "purpose is to highlight some of the specifics behind the company’s ongoing commitment to deliver a greater choice of beverages, including low and no-calories options, and to clearly communicate the calorie content of all its products."
"We call it 'Coming Together' because it informs Americans about all the company has been doing to bring folks together and deliver more choice and calorie transparency," Coca-Cola Co. spokesperson Ben Sheidler told TODAY. "In it we acknowledge that obesity is the issue of this generation and that we want to step into the national discourse to help identify ways to address the problem with willing partners."
Coca-Cola wasn't able to provide details yet about what other forms the campaign will take. "What I can tell you is that we've never been more committed to doing our part to help address the issue of obesity, and 2013 is going to be a landmark year in terms of expanding partnerships and efforts to educate consumers about energy balance," said Sheidler.
The tide is turning against the 45 gallon sea of soda the average American drinks annually. A New York City ban against the sale of sodas over 16 oz. goes into effect in June. Support for the measure came from arguments that excessive soda consumption contributes to obesity. The mayor of Cambridge, Mass., is considering a similar measure. The New York City Health Department has also run public service announcements asking viewers whether they're "pouring on the pounds" and showing glasses of human fat gushing from a soda can into a glass. The department ran ads on the New York City subway pointing out how you would have to walk three miles from Union Square in Manhattan to Brooklyn to burn off the calories in one 20 oz. soda.
Samantha Levine, New York City Office of the Mayor deputy press secretary, told TODAY, "New York City’s bold action to combat the obesity epidemic is already making a difference and it’s clear the industry is taking notice. But the fact remains that sugary drinks -- which play a unique role in this epidemic and have zero nutritional value -- are the single largest driver of the increase in obesity."
The American Heart Association recommends limiting daily added sugar intake to 37.5 grams, noting it as a contributing factor for obesity. A 20 oz. bottle of Coke contains 65g of sugar.
Figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention place American obesity levels at 35.7 percent, up from 13 percent in 1962.
Despite the sugary brown drink backlash, and the fact that soda has no nutritional value, a July 23, 2012, Gallup poll found that the self-reported weights of Americans was essentially the same between those who drank two or more glasses of soda per day and those who drank none.
RELATED: Coca-Cola’s new anti-obesity ad: Help or hurt Latinos?
In late 2012, the health activist group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) sponsored a viral video called "The Real Bears," using spoof characters modeled after the iconic Coca-Cola polar bears, which shared an array of frightening soda-related facts. The video's capper was one of the soda-swilling polar bears getting diabetes and having its foot amputated. It got over 2 million YouTube views.
In response to the new Coca-Cola campaign, CSPI head Michael Jacobson told TODAY that the "industry is under unprecedented pressure from academics, schools and parents. They're trying to stem the tide of criticism by taking a page out of crisis control 101, which is to pretend like they're concerned about the issue. If they were serious, they would stop advertising full-calorie drinks, charge less for lower calorie options, and stop fighting the soda tax. They're just running feel-good ads aimed at neutralizing criticism."
The final decision is up to the American consumer whether they're going to open up their pocketbooks — and mouths. Will they swallow what Coke is selling? And do ads like these really work? Alex Bogusky, co-founder of advertising firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky, who collaborated with the CSPI on "The Real Bears" video, told TODAY: "Yeah they work. People are anxious to hear they can still drink soda like water, so the message falls on many receptive ears."
Asked to respond to the remarks made by the CSPI and Bogusky, Coca-Cola Co. spokesperson Ciarlante said, "Big challenges like obesity aren’t going to be solved without honest and collective action. This includes action by business, government, teachers, scientists, health professionals, parents and, of course, companies like The Coca-Cola Company. We have an important role in this fight which can only be won if everyone works together."
In a new ad airing Monday night, Coca-Cola is touting its low-calorie beverage options and small product sizes while also encouraging consumers to look at all of the calories they consume – not just the calories in soft drinks. NBC's Chris Jansing reports.
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Sure, lots of different foods can contribute to obesity. But I remember a friend who worked at 7-11 years ago and was putting down probably over 64oz a day in soda, and when he cut that out of his diet he was a changed man - lost probably over 50 lbs and was more outgoing and active, without making any other significant lifestyle changes. It was such a dramatic change that I still remember it (from back in the mid 80s) whenever I read about how bad sodas are for you.
Well thats ur friends problemn for being a moron to begin with.
I like how they are schilling one awful product with another.
There's growing body of evidence that diet (DIEt) soda is actually worse for you than carbonated high fructose corn syrup, oh wait, they're lobbying to change that term to a softer, nicer, "cane sugar".
Not only do diet sodas artificially mimic sugar's sweetness, they cause your body to release a slew of hormones and digestive chemicals in anticipation for a large amount of sugar that going to hit your bloodstream. Since this sugar never hits, your appetite and sugar levels go into overdrive, and you end up overcompensating for it by eating larger portions throughout the day.
"Choose Your Poison!" should be their new ad campaign.
Can you all say HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP !
Just like UDunnoBro said 64oz of HFCS will kill you.
There is the cause. A new report came out last week with the numbers.
In moderation as always GET A "CANE SUGAR" drink....no HFCS!
And NO artificial stuff....it is even worse for you in tricking you brain.
Dang that word brain....most people don't have any.....never mind...............
I have to respect a company that offers SOLUTIONS,
So your friend took personal responsibility for his diet and that is great. Now if only the government realized that banning certain sizes of soda will do nothing to stop obesity. Only personal responsibility for ones health can do that.
Fifty years ago, soda was more of a luxury, a special treat, not a daily addiction. All they are concerned about is sales and profits. So they place blame on other products, not theirs.
If you are making an honest effort to lose weight..all these "helps" can assist with the discipline it takes to limit yourself.
I'm with you Oregon Vet, up to a point. Soda used to be a treat, and not the go-to beverage. But the "soda is poison" crowd seems to forget that it TASTES DELICIOUS.
Also, back in the day before every food franchise became international, when traveling outside the U.S., a coke on ice was a precious little taste of home. It's as American as hamburgers and hot dogs (and, okay, obesity).
Let's return it to "treat" status where it belongs and not demonize it.
I think the acidity is the worst part of soda. When I quit drinking soda (swapped to coffee with cream and sugar, so no calorie change), I no longer needed to use sensitive teeth toothpaste. I now average one can of soda a week. I don't keep soda in the house, and the kids get orange or lemon-lime soda about once a month. In our fridge we'll have koolaid, milk, and sometimes tea, but no soda or other caffinated drinks.
(I'm also not too trusting of artificial sweeteners- if something has regular and diet versions, I'll pick the regular and cut back elsewhere)
You're right that the acid content can be very bad for teeth. But that's not really the issue these ads are talking about - dental health and obesity are separate problems.
both effect cardiovascular health though.
Hope the Koolaid is unsweetened and the milk is skim or the food cops will still have a problem with you
Why can't people take responsibility for their own actions? Manufacturers can't *make* you consume their products. It's the individual's choice to buy and consume them. Likewise, parents are responsible for limiting their children's consumption and teaching them to make better choices. Alas, here in the good ol' USofA it's just easier to blame someone else.
Exactly!!
I like how New York is limiting the size of soda you're allowed to purchase... guess people will have to buy two. What a joke! Why does the government think it is their job to babysit us??? Make it illegal, and it'll be we'll be talking about the Mexican soda cartels.
But that goes against the gov't mantra that they and only they know whats good for the people. Too many people are nothing more than sheep wanting to be told how to do everything and be safe from any personal choice /sigh
WE are addicted to soft drinks and cigarettes!!! holly crap, how about warnings on Marijuana packs? soft drinks the same as tobacco? really, what is next, beef, chicken, anything not veggie? tofu!
It's not so much the calorie count as it is the sugar or HFCS. It is deadly, a slow killer that has fattened us up like pigs. As a kid I'd drink Coke with breakfast, now I don't touch any soda, or sugar. Big food industries are counterbalanced against big pharma in that one makes us sick and the other attempts to save us from the crap that made us sick. Stay far away from both for a healthier life.
I really like the ad, even though I know they're only doing it to make money.
Sorry Coke, low to zero calories means dumping harsh chemicals that cause tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and trigger finger as people's tendons swell up in response to all those chemicals in low calorie anything out there on the market today. Aspartame is usually the culprit. Inclusive, there is so much sugar in sodas that cause headaches and dehydration as the body uses most all of it's water to rid the body of the caffeine that is in them as well. Yes, lack of water can cause headaches. The body is on average 75% water and if you don't drink enough of it, you become constipated, riddled with headaches, and feel pretty lame till you get enough of it back in your system. Remember, our bodies were designed only to eat vegetation filled with water, yes even our teeth were designed to grind vegetation. Read the labels America, the more water you drink the better off you are. Try flavoring your own if you don't like it.
I think you have to go after resturants with the soda dispenser right there and unlimited refills. I have been known to drink 3-4 sodas at a resturant on the few times I eat out...but some people eat out everyday. I don't think the govt should tell people what to eat or drink, instead insurance should go up on those that are overweight and don't do anything about it. It's not that they drink soda, it's that they do that while sitting watching tv, the computer or video games. We live a sedentary life styles.
Jp, I always have to laugh when I see postings such as yours who say that the overweight should pay more for healthcare than others do, or that smokers should, or whatever other lifestyle that people want to blame high healthcare costs on.
WHO do you think this new Obozocare is going to give free insurance to? It's to those listed as "Uninsurable" of course.
I'd like to see a spreadsheet showing what percentage of that "Uninsurable" are smokers, overweight, etc.
it's worked in other places..it'll work here. Republicans only hate this plan because THEY didn't implement it. Look up Romenycare genius
Of course smokers and the overweight
are going to take the most from any plan, they are the sickest. It
does not matter what that plan is, be it government or private. Since
it is a societies ethical responsibility to see to it that the sick
and poor are taken care of, it is in the best interest of any society
to promote preventative medicine. That is why it is in EVERYONES best
interest to lead a healthy lifestyle and decrease their risks for
chronic illnesses. As for the politics of it all the only reason that
we have Obama-care is because he has been the only president since
LBJ to have the courage to take on the battle. If the GOP had wanted
to spend as much energy on the issue as Obama has then we could have
had Bush-care.
and insurance should go up on anyone who parachutes, rock climbs, races cars, drinks liquor, doesn't get at least 8 hrs sleep,...... All of these and more are potentially bad for you. Insurance can't replace personal responsibility
There is no scientific agreement that all calories are equal, when it comes to obesity. In 2011 I lost 15 pounds in six weeks without really dieting. I never went hungry. I cut down on carbs, including switching to Zero Coke. :)
People who drink a lot of fat pop can easily drop 20 pounds by switching to skinny pop. True story.
I assume that "skinny pop" is diet soda. In which case, read today that diet sodas are actually linked more closely to obesity and diabetes than regular sodas. Mostly because of the different chemicals and substitution sugars they have to use in diet sodas. While the calories are different, the chemicals can stimulate cravings of foods that cause weight gain/storage of fats and the substitute sugars can cause a great deal of harm themselves.
Can't just look at the calories, have to look at the ingredients too. You may lose some weight due to the lower calories, but you may be causing yourself further harm.
The more you know! :)
I am still waiting for coke to reformulate their regular soda without high-fructose corn syrup. Pepsi has, Dr. Pepper has, Sierra Mist has and so had Mountain Dew. When I do buy coke I get it from the warehouse store imported from Mexico and I don't drink any until I have had my daily minimum of water.
thanks for the update
Exactly, get rid of HFS and start using regular sugar again.
I contacted Coke several years ago when the evidence against HFCS was mounting, suggesting that they offer a sugar version again. Their response was that customers do not notice any difference between Coke made with HFCS versus Coke made with real sugar. I beg to differ: I think there is a big taste difference. I bought a 12 pack of Pepsi Throwback several years ago and my teenage daughter commented that her stomach didn't hurt after she shared a can with her boyfriend.
I'd like to know what the price difference is per can for the manufacturer. Did it not occur to Coke executives that consumers might have been willing to pay a little more to get a sugar version? (Note to Coke execs: check the supermarkets that now import Coke from Mexico to satisfy demand.)
Even if Coke eventually would start to manufacture a sugar version in the US again, they lost my business to Pepsi because they stubbornly valued the few cents/can they saved by not giving me the option to pass on HFCS.
We covered the metabolic pathway for High Fructose Corn Syrup in biochem recently. It's quite different from regular sugar, and not regulated the same way either, which leads to some negative consequences. The professor went to so far as to describe it as "devil's candy." In related news, I also noticed that Coke produced in Mexico with real sugar seems to taste better.
I totally agree. Coca-Cola made with sugar seems to have a richer taste. Sometimes the supermarket here will get in some Coca-Cola from Mexico, and I usually splurge and buy a few bottles. It is on the expensive side, though.
If you want "real" Coke made with sugar, just what until Passover.
HFS is not kosher for passover, and so Coke will do special runs of real Coke during that time of the year.
I don't think it's a coincidence that when I'm in the grocery store, the obese couple with the borderline-obese children almost always have 5-10 of those huge bottles of soda - of course, to save money, they often buy the store brand, but that way, they have money for potato chips, Cheetos and snack cakes.
When I was a kid, I drank more Cokes and other sodas than I did as an adult, but I did not gain weight like the kids do now. Honestly, now I crave nice cold water more than anything else to drink. Of course, back then kids were usually outside playing instead of camped out in front of the TV or computer. We would ride our bikes, go fishing, play football or basketball, etc. My friend's dad owned the lot behind their house, and he let us set up our own miniature golf course on it. We would also do odd jobs to earn money, and most of those really burned the calories. The nastiest one was mucking out a stock tank, but it paid $20, which was a fortune back then (at least to a kid, anyway).
I agree! With the school systems dropping recess and PE, the kids do not get to burn off the extra energy they have and then they are blamed for attention deficit disorders. If the parents of today would just say no to TV, electronic gadgets, etc., then the kids would spend more time outdoors doing what kids use to do.
I agree-I used to drink about one soda a day when I was a kid (I probably drink like 1 every 6 months or more now), and I (nor the majority of my classmate, who probably drank a similar amount of soda) was never as chunky as some of the kids I see now. We had video games then, but we played outside more or at the very least just as often as we played with the games. It seems kids now can't be unplugged from their devices for every long-almost every single one I see is constantly on a phone or some other handheld item. We always used to walk around the neighborhood-I see a lot fewer kids out and about on a nice summer day.
so what, just don't drink it
"And if you eat and drink more calories than you burn off, you'll gain weight."
no sh*t sherlock. those of us who paid attention in 2nd grade actually learned this.
a nation of big, fat morons.
My father-in law is almost 91 yrs old and has been drinking Coke then switched to diet coke his entire life (but in moderation) 1 to 2 cans per day. And that 91 number is amazing (active and always moving around) slowed down a lot in these later years.
Coke Commercial kind of storyline.
All Bush, Bush did it...
This is a joke...like cookie monster saying cookies are bad for you.
Their ad is pathetic...ever heard of empty calories...unfortunately you also get inflammation from their sugar or corn syrup laden regular soda or from their chemical laden diet soda. Remember, we're not going for weight loss but fat loss...there's a difference. Weight loss could result in muscle loss but fat loss done by eating a lean protein, low carb diet will result in good muscle mass and fat loss.
In other words i feel this ad says ^^
Coke - you're not fat because of us!
Put COCA back into coke. Put Sugar back into coke. End the sugar tariffs!
I bet Coke bought weight watchers, jenny craig etc... before this ad.
They make it sound like Coke is so amazing with the music. Manipulative marketing.
I drink one to two original(minus the coca:( ) a month. I feel like my teeth rot each time too but the flavor is wonderful.
Why didn't you put a link to the Youtube bear video you reference? Did Coca-Cola forbid it? As a reporter you should be neutral.
We all drank soda daily in my generation, but we also were outside most of the time and played sports every day. Kids today get rides to school, don't do chores, don't work and play video games. We then blame a product that was around when people were thin. Kids are fat because kids are lazy and their parents are simply tragic and inept. I wish my wife wouldn't drink four cokes a day, but she weighs 100 pounds so I have nothing to say.
Kids may be lazy. But now, due to fear of predators, kids are no longer allowed to bike all around town on their own, play outside unattended and, in general, do anything unsupervised outside the home. Is it any wonder that today's kids are conditioned to stay inside and play video games, etc?
And if they don't do chores, blame the parents who don't make them, not the "lazy kids."