On Wednesday, two health experts, Trish Cotter and Sandra Mullin, urged Olympics organisers to cut ties with Coca-Cola, saying the big money sponsorship deal allows the United States company to “sportswash” unhealthy sugary drinks.
The International Olympic Committee, however, said it was “incredibly proud” of its partnership with Coca-Cola while the company said it also offers sugar-free drinks.
The plea from the health experts comes on top of criticism from environmental activists over the amount of plastic bottles used to serve fans at the Paris Games.
Events in the French capital have been lined with advertising for the ubiquitous fizzy drinks of Coca-Cola, which has been sponsoring the Olympics since 1928.
But these sugary drinks “offer little or no nutritional value” and promoting such unhealthy products has no place in sport, according to Cotter and Mullin of global health group, Vital Strategies.
Sugary drinks are a “key driver” of a range of serious health problems affecting people across the world, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease — the pair wrote in a commentary in the journal BMJ Global Health.
Coca-Cola’s products also contribute to global plastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and use up a huge amount of water, they added.
“By continuing its association with Coca-Cola, the Olympics movement risks being complicit in intensifying a global epidemic of poor nutrition, environmental degradation and climate change.
“It’s time for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cut ties with Coca-Cola in the interest of athletes, spectators and the planet,” the authors wrote.
The IOC defended its partnership with the soft drink company.
“We’re incredibly proud of almost 100 years of partnership with the Coca-Cola company,” the IOC’s television and marketing services managing director, Anne-Sophie Voumard, said at a daily press conference.
“From an IOC perspective, Coke is taking a responsible approach to supporting athletes’ families, fans and is taking an integral part in the delivery of the Games,” she said.
In a statement, Coca-Cola noted that it also offers water, tea, coffee and juice at the Paris Games.
“As a total beverage company, we support recommendations to limit added sugar to 10 per cent of daily calories and continuously adapt our product range by reducing added sugar and introducing innovative products to meet evolving consumer tastes,” it said.
AFP
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