“The Games Organizing Committee has decided to turn a blind eye to Coca-Cola’s toxic sponsorship”

2023-09-23 05:00:26

” Faster, higher, stronger “. The motto of Olympism could be adorned with other superlatives, such as “greatest”, inherent to the organization of the Olympic Games (OG). These principles call for another: “more expensive”. And we realize that, to finance such gigantism, it is necessary to hunt for additional budgets. The presence of Coca-Cola among the major sponsors of the event is part of this framework. It is also symptomatic of the absence of a paradigm shift in terms of thinking about the health policy of our fellow citizens, but also about our environment.

Official sponsor of the torch relay, Coca-Cola also obtained the privilege of having its image next to that of the torch bearers. The multinational is once again associated with the ideal of a healthy mind in a healthy body, thus aiming to be assimilated, in the minds of the general public, to a sports drink.

However, the organization of the Olympic Games in France was a great opportunity to promote health and reduce our abysmal healthcare costs. Unfortunately, the choice of Coca-Cola as sponsor does not encourage optimism. Because it is well documented that the consumption of sugary drinks (fruit juices and sodas) causes metabolic disruption, largely contributing to a deadly and silent pandemic: that of so-called “non-communicable” chronic diseases.

They are called obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (called NASH), high blood pressure. They are the bedrock of numerous complications, such as myocardial infarctions, strokes, but also heart failure, sleep apnea, kidney diseases, cancers, osteoarthritis. NASH has even become the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer in the United States.

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Sodas are also a scourge for the teeth by promoting enamel erosion and cavities. Contrary to popular belief, drinks labeled “Light” or “Zero” impair the regulation of satiety and are associated with an increased risk of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, the World Health Organization finally recommended against the consumption of sweeteners.

Global pollution

All these pathologies have in common that they are easier and less expensive to prevent than to treat, with very simple measures: less sugar, less processed foods, physical activity. It is therefore easy to understand that a coherent strategy for preventing these pathologies must be based on simple messages aimed at dissuading the consumption of such products. These messages are constantly parasitized by the noisy communication of these companies, like Coca-Cola, which sell risks and produce diseases (Jean-David Zeitoun, The Suicide of the Species, Denoël, 256 pages, 20 euros).

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