Together with Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the companies will try and convince people to reduce their calorie intake

Sep 24, 2014 09:54 GMT  ·  By
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo say they want to help people in the US get back in shape
   Coca-Cola and PepsiCo say they want to help people in the US get back in shape

This September 23, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group went public with the news that they had entered a partnership meant to help people in the US slim down.

The announcement was made during a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York and took quite a lot of people by surprise, Live Science informs.

By the looks of it, the three large soda companies' plan to fight obesity boils down to encouraging US residents to cut down on the number of calories they get from sugary beverages.

To see their dream come true and have all the people in the country get back in shape, the companies will start selling smaller portion sizes. What's more, they will invest more in marketing low- and no-calorie beverages.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Dr Pepper Snapple Group hope that, with their help, the number of calories the average person in the US gets from sugary beverages will drop by about 20% over the next 10 years.

Former President Bill Clinton is fairly thrilled with this plan to tackle obesity in the US. “I am excited about the potential of this voluntary commitment by the beverage industry. It can be a critical step in our ongoing fight against obesity,” he says.

However, there are some who say that the country needs to do more, and that putting taxes on sodas could prove more efficient than simply promoting low- and no-calorie beverages over sugary ones.

Interestingly enough, a few folks believe soda cans and bottles should display warning messages similar to the ones found on cigarette packs. They believe that, if people were constantly reminded of what these beverages do to their body, they would stop drinking them.