14 DAY TRIAL // Sure, everyone knows that Coca Cola, the world's favorite soft drink has sugar in it and that drinking large amounts is never healthy for you, but realistically, how much sugar is in the smallest can of Coke when you break it down?
BBC's Richard Paxman sat down with James Quincy, the president of Coca Cola Europe, as part of his show Newsnight and he wanted to hear his opinion on this thorny issue that so many people seem to forget when they go out and buy ever larger quantities of the carbonated soft drink.
Paxman makes a very solid point by turning the attention of the public from that abstract number printed on the side of the bottle or the can of Coke, which to most doesn't mean that much, to a way of measuring the amount of sugar everyone can relate to – with sugar packs.
Everyone uses sugar packs to sweeten their coffee or tea on a daily basis so it makes it very easy to understand how much sugar a glass of Coca Cola has when you compare it to that. Normally, most people would add one or two or maybe even three packs of sugar to a drink, but Paxman reveals that the smallest serving of Coke available in cinemas has a whopping 23 packs of sugar stuffed in it.
He then ups the ante by showing that the largest serving available at the same cinemas contains a jaw-dropping 4 packs of sugar in it. For many, that is a whole month's worth of sugar in their morning drink which is being stuffed into just one serving.
Sure, that drink turns out to be delicious, but at what cost? Paxman then points a blaming finger at the Coca Cola company, asking them why so much sugar is needed for a soft drink.
Quincy can be seen in the video being painted into a corner, admitting that Coca Cola is currently contributing to the world's overweight problem, but that the company is making real efforts to help people make informed decisions when it comes to their diet.
One measure would be to reduce the serving sizes so that the overall sugar intake in one sitting would drop, but finally, the best solution would be to reduce the amount of sugar used in the drink. Those are just extra calories you don't need and that you're probably going to have a hell of a time burning off, considering the modern man's sedentary lifestyle.
What you should take away from this video is that even that guilty pleasure you indulge yourself for a night out on the movies could end up hurting your figure and health, despite the fact that you usually maintain a balanced diet and work out regularly.
Some changes clearly need to be made, but until this is regulated, it's up to you to make the informed decision and choose what's best for your health.