Coca-Cola has put one of its executives, Katie Bayne, out there to push back against the NYC ban and related issues, and I really don't envy her duties. She has to go out and argue that her companies products aren't that bad. Here's an interview she did with USA Today. Here are some excerpts:
Q: Is anyone at Coca-Cola trying to figure out a way to get sugar out of all drinks?
A: There is a large portion of the population that relies on the carbohydrates and energy in our regular beverages.
Comment: I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they drink Coke for the carbs.
Q: How much Coke should a kid drink a day?
A: We don't make recommendations on what kids should drink. But a 12-ounce can of Coke has 140 calories, the same as a lunch-box-size bag of pretzels.
Comment: In a couple of places, Ms. Bayne focuses on calories. I guess that is what Mayor Bloomberg and others are focusing on, too, when they mention obesity. To me, that's not the main concern with soda. Instead it's the sugar (usually in HFCS form) and phosphorus.
Q: Because sugary drinks have been linked with obesity, some suggest soft-drink makers place "warning" labels on cans and bottles.
A: There is no scientific evidence that connects sugary beverages to obesity. If you look at the data, you can see that during the same period obesity was rising, sugar intake from beverages was decreasing. Between 1999 and 2010, sugars from soda consumption decreased by 39%, but the percentage of obese children increased by 7%, and 13% for adults.
Comment: She mentions this indirectly, but it is interesting that soda consumption in the US has been dropping since 1996. That kind of belies the heavy focus on this drinks we've seen recently. However, the linked article states that the decline is due to people switching to bottled water, juice, tea, and energy drinks. Many of the teas out there (Arizona, etc.) have as much or more sugar than soda, and energy drinks present a whole new set of problems, so maybe the statistic on declining soda consumption isn't as good of a sign as it may seem.
As you point out, her first answer is nonsense. She should have just said, "No. Is anyone trying to figure out how to get all the sugar out of ice cream or pie?"
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that the federal government created this problem with corn subsidies, and then state governments want to control it because they pay for health care. If everyone would back up a few steps, stop meddling in farm policy and get out the health care business, it wouldn't matter to politicians how much soda people consume.
I find it very humorous that as limits on soda size are being promoted, the state of New York is talking about decriminalizing procession of small quantities of marijuana and the mayor of New York supports the idea.
I think it is issues like this, or smoking bans, that prove to me I really and truly am a conservative. I hate being around smoke and my personal belief is that coke has absolutely no redeeming qualities (unlike chocolate, which has proven healthy benefits :-) but I still disagree with both bans.
ReplyDeleteBut you're right, the more the government gets involved with our healthcare system, the more excuses they have to butt into our personal decisions - scary.