WATCH: Coca-Cola responds to Heala’s picket against obesity

Update, 1.30pm:

The Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) held a picket outside Coca-Cola Africa’s offices in Rosebank today, 16 October, demanding that Coca-Cola honours its commitment to stop advertising to children and provide healthier beverage alternatives in schools.

Public affairs and communications head of Coca-Cola in South Africa, Asyia Sheik said, “We are deeply concerned about South Africa’s obesity rates – particularly in children. We believe that while sugar in moderation is fine, too much of it isn’t good for anyone.

“We have a longstanding global policy on responsible marketing, which was created in 2009. This policy says we will not target advertising to children under 12 anywhere in the world. In 2016, we added specific guidelines surrounding schools and began a journey to remove Coca-Cola-branded signs from schools across South Africa.”

She said the company has accelerated its efforts to remove the remaining Coca-Cola-branded signs from schools, adding that more than half of all branded signs in schools have already been removed.

She also stated that Coca-Cola has reduced or removed the sugar content of many of its products as well as reduced package sizes of its beverages, too.

Update, 10.30am:

Protesters from HEALA protest outside Coca-Cola in Oxford Road against the sale of sugary drinks to children in schools @RK_Gazette pic.twitter.com/rvj3fvKdUw

— Sarah Koning (@SarahKingon) October 16, 2018

People picked outside Coca-Cola in Rosebank against adverting campaigns targeting children @RK_Gazette pic.twitter.com/YS8gw5oFpO

— Sarah Koning (@SarahKingon) October 16, 2018

Earlier:

The Healthy Living Alliance (Heala) invites the community to join them as they picket outside Coca-Cola Africa’s offices in Rosebank today, 16 October, demanding that Coca-Cola honours its commitment to stop advertising to children and provide healthier beverage alternatives in schools.

In a statement issued by Heala, in 2009, through the Consumer Goods of South Africa pledge, Coca-Cola said it would stop advertising to children. Heala believes this pledge has not been honoured in South Africa.

“In 2018, a survey audit has not fulfilled this commitment to advertising and selling sugary drinks to children with no alternatives,” said the statement.

According to Heala, in South Africa, the presence of sugar-sweetened beverages has contributed to a 13 per cent prevalence of overweight and obese children. “This percentage is rapidly growing and our health care system is overburdened with an increase in non-communicable diseases,” said a Heala spokesperson, who reiterated that children are still exposed to Coca-Cola’s mass advertising billboards in their schools, at their homes, on social media and in-store.

“Most obesity prevention interventions emphasise exercising and eating healthy. However, we have not focused our attention on how the environment enables and essentially forces the public to continue consuming unhealthy food.

“The beverage industry continues to manipulate and mislead the public through its advertising and direct marketing. There is a greater need to hold the beverage companies accountable,” said executive director of Heala, Sbongile Nkosi.

The protest will call on Coca-Cola to honour its pledge to stop advertising its products to children and remove all billboards and mass advertising targeted at children immediately. In addition, they also call on Coca-Cola to stop the supply of sugary beverages in schools.

Details: Sbongile 066 253 4056.