Is Coke a healthy snack? Yes, according to Coca-Cola

Health News

If you read that a mini-can of Coke is a healthy snack, please take it with a grain of salt – or an entire silo, preferably. On the one hand, nutrition and fitness experts have recommended the carbonated soft beverage as a healthy alternative on nutrition blogs and websites including those belonging to important newspapers. On the other hand, these experts are on the American multinational company’s payroll. Actually, some of them can’t remember whether Coca-Cola paid them for shilling their product – guess memory improvement is not one of Coke’s many blessings. In all fairness, there was a time when carbonated water was thought to be good for the health. Of course, that was almost 130 years ago.

Coca-Cola has always been known for presenting their product in a wholesome light; past slogans include the following chestnuts: “Coca-Cola revives and sustains;” “Pure as Sunlight;” “Coca-Cola … pure drink of natural flavors:” and “Coke adds life.” Moreover, its creator was no stranger to making outlandish claims about his invention. Confederate Colonel John Pemberton claimed that Coke cured morphine addiction, dyspepsia, neurasthenia, headache, and impotence, among many other diseases. Then again, he was addicted to morphine. However, long gone are the innocent times when cocaine was considered a panacea. In a time of declining sales and obesity epidemics, Coca-Cola needs a lot more than ‘Mean’ Joe Green telling America to “Hey kid, catch!” It’s just not the 70s anymore.

Accordingly, “we have a network of dietitians we work with,” Coca-Cola spokesman Ben Sheidler told AP. “Every big brand works with bloggers or has paid talent.” Several of these dietitians authored online articles for American Heart Month and Black History Month – the latter under the “Heart Health & Black History Month” banner. One of the pieces – which Sheidler likened to product placement in television shows – mentioned a “refreshing beverage option such as a mini can of Coca-Cola,” while another suggested “portion-controlled versions of your favorites, like Coca-Cola mini cans, packs of almonds or pre-portioned desserts for a meal.” One post in particular was identified as a “sponsored article;” in other words, an ad disguised as a regular story which ran in over 1,000 websites, including major national news outlets.

The rest of the columns usually labeled the writer as a ‘consultant.’ According to media ethics professor at The Poynter Institute Kelly McBride, this label is ambiguous as to whether the author was paid by Coca-Cola. Additionally, Sheidler chose not to reveal how much the company pays ‘consultants.’ Regardless of the remuneration, dietitian Robyn Flipse said she would stand by her recommending Coke mini-cans – which she personally does not indulge in – even if she hadn’t been paid. “I absolutely think that I provided valuable information,” she said. Furthermore, Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, another pro-Coke dietitian, couldn’t remember whether Coca-Cola paid her for an article she wrote touting mini-cans. As the Church Lady used to say, “How con-VEEN-ient!”

Coca-Cola released a statement saying that the company wants to “help people make decisions that are right for them,” and that it employs health experts “to help bring context to the latest facts and science around our products and ingredients.” (Not mentioned: smaller cans sell for higher prices per ounce. Thus, even if customers imbibe less Coke, sales can still grow) Co-founder of the Dietitians for Professional Integrity group Andy Bellatti said that food companies woo dietitians in a quest for scientific validation. Professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University and American Heart Association nutrition committee member Alice Lichtenstein said that whereas a mini-can of soda could be a “move in the right direction” for regular soda drinkers, she would not recommend it as a snack. But who knows, maybe these hired dietitians are on to something after all. Perhaps a mini-can of Coke is good for your health. There, I said it. Can I have my money now?

Related Read:

- How Coke markets itself as a “Healthy Snack”

The post Is Coke a healthy snack? Yes, according to Coca-Cola appeared first on Health-News.com.