They could start selling Coke with real sugar instead of corn syrup.

Like the bottles you can get from Mexico.

Diet soda has zero calories

I laugh as I pound liter after liter of calorie-free seltzer.

@2: Aspartame tastes like ass.

And not in the good way.

I thought that said "anti-obscenity" and thought it made about as much sense.

"We've added the calorie content of all the beverages on the front, to help make it even easier for people to make informed decisions."

Bullshit. That was a requirement from the Affordable Care Act, the same clause that requires chain restaurants to have the calorie information shown on their menus. They didn't have a choice in the matter.

@6 it really doesn't matter since about 98% of people have never been taught, or if they did it was in like 7th grade, about nutrition, calories and the like.

You cannot make an informed decision if you are never informed in the first place

Corn syrup's more of a problem than calories or sugar.

how about make some ice tea or drink some water? those have no calories and also have NO chemicals in them! yay! also water is basically free (unless you like buying bottled tap water for $2 a bottle)

Everything Coca-Cola produces is bad for you and bad for the planet.

Thirsty? Turn on your tap. Have some water.

Robert Lustig, UCSF pediatric endocrinologist, was on TotN Science Friday last week:

http://sciencefriday.com/segment/01/11/2…

In his new book Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, endocrinologist and obesity doc Robert Lustig deconstructs the mythology of fat. He says exercise, for all its benefits, won't help you shed pounds -- and that fasting only worsens weight gain.

Also, an excerpt from his new book:

http://sciencefriday.com/blogs/01/10/201…

What, is self-regulation a dirty word now in upper progressive circles?

A can of Coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar! ...that is obscene, no matter whether the sugar is cane or corn-derived. Not that sugar per se is evil, but a huge percentage of the Americain diet is built around such "white" foods; i.e., white flour, white rice, white sugar - in all of their forms - and all of which have very little nutritional value. "Enriched" white flour is one of the greatest frauds perpetuated by the factory food industry ...all they've done is add back a few vitamins after stripping out virtually all nutrition from the whole grains.

I'd estimate 60% of calories in the average American diet are from white foods, which cause spikes of insulin & are easily converted to fat in the body, especially in folks who are not expending the calories through phyical activity of any kind - not just going to the gym, but even walking, gardening, taking stairs etc etc...

Coke & its apologists can sugar coat the message as much as they want - and they will - but the fact is that they are peddlers of flavored, nutrition-free sugar water that is contributing in a big way to obesity & other health problems like diabetes.

@13 - No kidding. I'm happy to blame the victim in this situation.

Whenever a publicly traded company does anything, remember this: by law, a publicly traded company can not do anything that is not profit motivated, as it would be a disservice to the shareholders.

Pink ribbons, donations, anti-obesity campaigns...it all legally has to be to turn a profit. They can not be charitable. It is always about the bottom line.

@17: Well, the bottom line is that Americans are becoming more health conscious about sugar. The bottom line is that companies have to adapt to that to maintain a profit. This one of those rare symbiotic developments where health and profit motivations are not incongruous.
Another bottom line is that water is boring. I know it goes well with your rice cakes and tofu paste, but the rest of us want to enjoy a diet cola or grape soda - thank you very much!

My second paragraph in @18 is directed at those on the bandwagon with @11.

We have seltzer either with a splash of grenadine, or with bitters. Not every day, but once a week. Not many calories. Thanks to The Coterie Room for turning us on to this. Tastier than water, a little better than juice or artificial sweetener-laced diet soft drinks.

BTW, I listened to Lustig's "Science Friday" interview. I had cut my apple juice with half-water before heading to water w/apple cider vinegar, but now my kid has learned that seltzer w/bitters or grenadine is better for him than apple juice. If only more researchers put effort into findings that contradicted "common knowledge," science would be more interesting. Thanks, Dr. Lustig!

It's serving sizes that have changed. People didn't drink the obscenely huge portions of soda that they do today. They didn't pound down bottle after bottle either.

http://www.divinecaroline.com/22175/4949…

Soda consumption has been a huge issue with 56% percent of 8 year olds and 78% of 9-14 year olds consume soft drinks daily, with a third of teenage boys and girls drinking at least three cans of soda a day. With each can of 12 oz. soda on average containing 10 teaspoons of sugar, these consumption rates exceed the allowance set by the American Heart Association. Specifically, children ages 4-8 should consume no more than 3 teaspoons of sugar per day and 5-8 teaspoons for adolescents.

But Coke's recent efforts to address these issues, this will only help further the conversation surrounding childhood obesity. As a mother and executive that has worked to fight childhood obesity over the last five years, I'm encouraged by the growing attention to this crucial agenda and in particular, the emphasis placed on addressing consumption of sugary beverages through healthier options, portion control and physical activity.

Rose Cameron, Founder/CEO
(http://bit.ly/obesityissue)