No Joke: Coke Wants You to Lose Weight

I’m livid. You’re probably not surprised since I’m the VP of Anger Management at Plan Z by Zola. I see red when the media spews bad advice about diet, nutrition, exercise and health. What I’m writing about today is not news, it is PR propaganda. Sunday’s Chicago Tribune had a full page ad for Coca-Cola promoting their Live Positively website. Maybe you saw it in your local paper, too:

“Everything in moderation. Except fun, try to have lots of that.”

Our nation is facing an obesity problem and we plan on being part of the solution. By promoting balanced diets and active lifestyles, we can make a positive difference. For some people a 12-fl.-oz beverage may be too much. Everyone’s needs are different. So we’ve created a variety of package sizes, like our 90-calorie, 7.5-fl.-oz. portion-control Coke cans, and more than 150 low-cal, no-cal options to help them achieve a more balanced diet. While keeping track of calories is important, so is burning them off. In our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we’ve helped more than one million kids learn the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition through the Triple Play program.And through our 40-year support of America’s national parks and our partnership with the National Park Foundation, we’ve helped maintain and rebuild 260 miles of trails so families can be active together while enjoying the great outdoors. To learn more about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, join us at LivePositively.com.

I joined them and found this video of their VP and Chief Scientific Officer, Rhona Applebaum, touting the harmlessness of high fructose corn syrup. There is also special questions and answer section on the site. Here’s an example:

Question: Are sparkling beverages full of “empty calories”? Coke’s answer: Sparkling beverages are refreshing drinks that hydrate. They also provide carbohydrate calories (energy) and help supply the energy necessary for daily activities. People who don’t want to consume extra calories from their beverages can choose from among a wide range of low-calorie and no-calorie Coca-Cola products in both sparkling and still varieties.

Here’s Coke’s statement on their Live Positively website:

For 120+ years, the Coca-Cola system has been part of the fabric of our communities, helping develop a foundation for growth — providing jobs and paying taxes while supporting initiatives to ensure clean water, a healthy, active environment and educational opportunities

Let’s give them that.  And let’s give them every right to grow their business. This is America. And growth is good. But Coke has no business telling you to exercise. Coke has no business giving you diet and nutrition advice. And when they start explaining that Coke is really part of a balanced nutrition program, you’d better run the other way.  “Everything in moderation.” I think not. There is no place for HFCS in your diet. Get real. Avoid The Real Thing. And never take diet and nutrition advice from a corporation that is fueling the obesity epidemic. If you haven’t Dr. Robert H. Lustig’s YouTube sensation Sugar, The Bitter Truth. It’s time to get that on your Plan Z education to do list. It’s a critical part of reprogramming your brain so  you don’t put stupid things like HFCS back in your thinner body. Here it is again in case you missed it:

Take that Rona Applebaum, VP and Chief Scientific and Regulatory Officer of Coke and HFCS spinmeister. You are either 1) horribly misinformed or 2) simply an evil person who lies for money. What do you think?