New Video Shows What an Honest Soda Ad Would Look Like

Cracked just released a video that shows how beverage companies would talk about soda if they were telling the truth. “Hot out, need to cool down?” the announcer asks with a large bottle of cola in his hand. “Instead of water, might I suggest an ice cold bottle of candy?” It would be funny, if it weren’t true. Soda is so full of sugar that the average 12-ounce can contains about 10 teaspoons’ worth. For some perspective, the American Heart Association’s recommended daily average daily sugar intake is nine teaspoons for an adult male, and six for a female.

“If you knew how much sugar a human being is supposed to consume in a day (very little) and how much sugar is in one bottle of wet sugar (lots!), you probably wouldn’t drink it,” the announcer says. “So we bullied the FDA into letting us straight-up not give you that information.” A recent study by Harvard School of Public Health found that drinking one to two cans of soda a day gives you a 26 percent greater chance of getting Type 2 diabetes, and showed that men who drink a can or more a day have a 40 percent greater chance of heart attack.

For everyday soda drinkers, quitting can do wonders for their bodies.

1. \nBrain: Researchers found that animals on high-sugar diets had impaired cognitive function.
2. \nTeeth: The citric acid in soda erodes tooth enamel, making them more vulnerable to cavities and yellowing.
3. \nBones: Quitting soda reduces your risk of osteoporosis.
4. \nKidneys: According to Medical Daily, “studies have shown that drinking a lot of soda can increase your risk of kidney disease and ultimately kidney failure.”
5. \nWaistline: If you’re a habitual soda drinker, if you stop guzzling liquid candy, you’ll drop pounds in no time.

(H/T Medical Daily)