Pepsi announced that they were going to launch a Diet version of their flagship sports drink Gatorade “for athletes when they are not breaking a sweat.” Although a diet version of a the competing sports drink Powerade did not fare well, Pepsi states that they created Diet Gatorade in response to consumer demand.

Why Diet Gatorade is a bad idea if you’re looking to lose weight.
While less active could refer to those who walk instead of run, for most it will just be consumed as a “guiltless pleasure” while sitting on the couch watching Sunday football. Although Pepsi’s chairmen states the “lower-calorie version would be marketed to athletes for use when they were less active,” suffice it to say “less active” is code for “consumers that sit in front of the TV and snack.” “Less calories” is still going to mean “more calories” when you consider we should just be drinking water.

It’s back… Call it a McReincarnation. Shamed into oblivion by bad press and the cult hit movie “Super Size Me”, McDonald’s pulled the plug on the “super size me” line of sodas and french fries. Super-sized II, the sequel, is back at McDonalds as part of a summer promotion. The behemoth 42-ounce serving of soda, packs 410 calories and is appropriately called “Hugo.”

In a NY Times article, a McDonald’s spokeswoman defended Hugo against comparisons with the Supersize line of products saying “That’s not what this is about. You have to put it in context with the rest of our menu.” Personally, I think the name Hugo says it all… what’s next Hugo-fries?

Coke and Pepsi are entering the functional food arena with 2 vitamin-fortified sodas. Dogged by increasing evidence linking soft drink consumption with obesity, and stymied by flagging sales, the two behemoths are marketing these new products as “sparking beverages.” Coke is entering with “Diet Coke Plus”, fortified with niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, magnesium and zinc. Pepsi’s entrant is with the web 2.o sounding name, “Tava” which will contain vitamins B3, B6 and E, and chromium.

Whether consumers will buy into these health benefits remain to be seen, but any real benefits are doubtful. In fact, recent evidence suggests some vitamin supplements show no clear health benefits and may even pose potential harm. Whole fruits and veggies remain your best sources of vitamins.

A large systemic review to be published in the American Journal of Public Health , links soft drink consumption with greater calorie consumption and body weight. The review concludes “recommendations to reduce population soft drink consumption are strongly supported by the available science.”

This is really nothing new and just another nail in the coffin over the soda-obesity link debate. Problem is when we consume calories from any drink we are not satisfying our appetite so we don’t wind up eating less of other foods. Watch out, because these calories add up quickly. Consuming just two 12 ounce coca-cola drinks a day for a year can lead to over 32 lbs of weight gain, so if you’re looking to lose weight avoid any calorie drinks.

The American Beverage Association gave their spin on the debate “it is not feasible to blame any one food product or beverage as being a sole contributor to obesity… No science supports such a claim.”

thanks, but I’ll drink water instead…