Leading health groups call on Coca-Cola to scrap ad campaign

Updated

Leading Australian health groups have launched an offensive against Coca-Cola's latest advertising campaign.

Twelve health groups, including Diabetes Australia and Nutrition Australia, have written a joint letter to Coca-Cola calling on it to scrap its campaign for sugary drinks and pull out of children's sport sponsorship.

Television advertisements that are part of the Coca-Cola campaign show a range of activities such as cycling and use the slogan "innovation, information and choices" in reference to addressing the nation's obesity issues.

Jane Martin from the Obesity Policy Coalition says the groups wanted to voice their concerns directly to Coca-Cola.

"We think we are best placed to talk about the implications and the solutions as far as sugary drinks are concerned," she says.

"I don't think the public should be taking dietary advice from Coca-Cola.

"They were the people that said it was a myth that Coke made you fat, a myth that it rotted your teeth and a myth that it was packed with caffeine."

She says those claims were found to be potentially misleading and deceptive.

"I think the public do deserve more and I think Coca-Cola really should be putting their marketing might behind actions that really would make a difference and actually accept that sugary drinks are a huge part of the obesity problem."

Call to pull Coke, Fanta and Sprite from tuckshops

The letter also calls for a reduction in the sugar content of drinks such as Coke, Fanta and Sprite and for those drinks to be pulled from school tuckshops.

A spokeswoman for Coca-Cola told the ABC the company has already responded to the letter.

"We absolutely stand by our commitments which are aimed at providing people with choices, as well as encouraging them to be more active more often and enjoy our drinks as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle.

"Obesity is a serious and complex global health problem affecting every community and every industry.

"No one entity can solve this issue alone.

"It will take the collective efforts of all stakeholders working together, including Coca-Cola South Pacific."

Excerpt of letter sent from health groups to Coca-Cola We write in relation to Coca-Cola's recently publicised "commitments to help address obesity" in Australia. It is our firmly held view that the actions announced recently will not have any significant effect in reducing consumption of sugary beverages and thereby reducing overweight and obesity. In light of Coca-Cola's stated desire to help reduce obesity levels in Australia, we recommend that you implement the following measures, which are likely to be much more effective: Reduce the sugar content of high-kilojoule beverages, such as Coke, Fanta and Sprite

Stop marketing high-kilojoule beverages in TV programs that are popular with children and young people and through social media

Stop sponsoring sports clubs and events, especially children's sports

Stop the sale of high-kilojoule beverages in all primary and secondary schools and other children's settings

Stop promoting the message that high-kilojoule beverages are part of a healthy, balanced diet

Support physical activity initiatives, but without Coca-Cola or other high-kilojoule beverage branding.

Know more? Email us at investigations@abc.net.au

Topics: health, adolescent-health, diet-and-nutrition, exercise-and-fitness, lifestyle-and-leisure, australia

First posted