Coca-Cola Sued For 'False And Misleading Marketing' Of Sugary Drinks

There's no hiding the fact that drinking 39 grams of sugar — the amount found in one can of Coke — is not good for you. Nevertheless, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy watchdog organization, has sued Coca-Cola for purposefully misleading the public about the health risks associated with sugary beverages, Business Insider reported.

"Each year, Coca-Cola reaps huge profits from the sale of its sugar-sweetened beverages," the lawsuit said. "Each year, Coca-Cola spends billions of dollars on misleading and deceptive promotions and advertising that have enormous appeal to consumers, including children, which advertising effects persist over years."

The lawsuit referenced research campaigns pushed by Coca-Cola and the American Beverage Association that point to a "calories in, calories out" method of healthful living. CSPI said this research was inaccurate and ignored the dangerous levels of sugars found in one can of Coke, about 14 grams more than the daily sugar allowance for a grown adult, according to the World Health Organization.

CSPI's lawsuit stipulated that Coca-Cola and the ABA have long downplayed sugar's role in the skyrocketing levels of obesity. Scientists have recently reversed society's longtime aversion to high-fat foods, claiming that fat in moderate quantities is good for you and that sugar is really to blame for many of society's health issues.

The lawsuit demanded that Coca-Cola and the ABA disclose information about potential health risks of highly sweetened beverages, fund a public health campaign, and end advertising directed at children, as well as any marketing campaigns that contain misleading health claims.