Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda

by Marion Nestle, Mark Bittman, Neal Baer (Foreword)

Sodas are astonishing products. Little more than flavored sugar-water, these drinks cost practically nothing to produce or buy, yet have turned their makers--principally Coca-Cola and PepsiCo--into a multibillion-dollar industry with global recognition, distribution, and political power. Billed as refreshing, tasty, crisp, and the real thing, sodas also happen to be so well established to contribute to poor dental hygiene, higher calorie intake, obesity, and type-2 diabetes that the first line of defense against any of these conditions is to simply stop drinking them. Habitually drinking large volumes of soda not only harms individual health, but also burdens societies with runaway healthcare costs. So how did products containing absurdly inexpensive ingredients become multibillion dollar industries and international brand icons, while also having a devastating impact on public health? In Soda Politics, Dr. Marion Nestle answers this question by detailing all of the ways that the soft drink industry works overtime to make drinking soda as common and accepted as drinking water, for adults and children. Dr. Nestle, a renowned food and nutrition policy expert and public health advocate, shows how sodas are principally miracles of advertising; Coca-Cola and PepsiCo spend billions of dollars each year to promote their sale to children, minorities, and low-income populations, in developing as well as industrialized nations. And once they have stimulated that demand, they leave no stone unturned to protect profits. That includes lobbying to prevent any measures that would discourage soda sales, strategically donating money to health organizations and researchers who can make the science about sodas appear confusing, and engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to create goodwill and silence critics. Soda Politics follows the money trail wherever it leads, revealing how hard Big Soda works to sell as much of their products as possible to an increasingly obese world. But Soda Politics does more than just diagnose a problem--it encourages readers to help find solutions. From Berkeley to Mexico City and beyond, advocates are successfully countering the relentless marketing, promotion, and political protection of sugary drinks. And their actions are having an impact - for all of the hardball and softball tactics the soft drink industry employs to maintain the status quo, soda consumption has been flat or falling for years. Health advocacy campaigns are now the single greatest threat to soda companies profits. Soda Politics provides readers with the tools they need to keep up pressure on Big Soda in order to build healthier and more sustainable food systems.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction, Politics, Business, Health, Nutrition, Sociology

524 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2015

About the author

Marion Nestle, Ph.D, M.P.H., is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University. She is also a professor of Sociology at NYU and a visiting professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.

Nestle received her BA from UC Berkeley, Phi Beta Kappa, after attending school there from 1954-1959. Her degrees include a Ph.D in molecular biology and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition, both from the University of California, Berkeley.

Reviews

[Josh Caporale · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was younger, soda used to (just about) be a daily staple within my diet. I would drink it with dinner (just about) every night and if I was out at a special occasion or at someone's house, I would drink about two or three. My favorites were (and you can say still are) root beer (preferably A&W or Mug) and Vanilla Coke. I knew that they were bad for you, but I was not thinking about that at the time. In 2008, though, I made the decision that I wanted to cut soda out of my daily diet and would also take the step to rearranging my diet so that I would drink an orange juice in the morning and water for any subsequent meal, with a bit of flexibility in between. My train of thought was that while you can make something out of the calories you consume from starches such as pastas, breads, and cookies, soda is useless and should avoided whenever possible. I lost weight as a result and feel that cutting back soda had a lot to do with this. At this point in time, I will only drink soda when I am eating pizza, out at a restaurant, or at a special occasion, but there are moments where I will not, and that willpower is necessary in combating a desire to drink soda. That is my story.

How does this connect to Soda Politics? It is proof to the fact that it is necessary to decrease or completely remove an intake of soda as soon as possible. Some children can recall being prohibited against drinking soda during meals or being limited to how much they can consume and if it means decreasing your chances at becoming diabetic or developing tooth decay or any other condition, then it is necessary. Marion Nestle, an instructor of Nutrition, Food Studies, Public Heath, and Sociology who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and M.P.H. in Public Health Nutrition, won the James Beard Book Award in the Writing and Literature category in 2016 for this book that she wrote a year earlier. As far as I am concerned, Nestle really hits home in bringing about attention to the issues that soda can have on an individual the way that Morgan Spurlock brought about attention to the effect that fast food can have on an individual through his month long diet of food from McDonalds in Super Size Me.

Soda Politics is intended to be an argument against drinking soda and how Nestle believes that it is the government's responsibility to restrict where soda can be advertised, where soda should and should not be made available, how it should not be covered through government assistance programs (notably SNAP), and how a tax would be more beneficial to society. In addition to these arguments, she breaks down what soda really is by evaluating Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola's food labels, discusses the ingredients, and provides us with an insight on the health issues that come with a consistent intake of soft drinks. She then explores the bigger picture as to why it has been difficult for people to kick a current habit or avoid drinking soda altogether. Her explanation is the abrasive and ever-looming presence that soda has in our society and throughout a greater global picture. She argues how Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. have become such gigantic businesses that they can pay organizations and outlets that promote nutritional lifestyles to promote exercise instead of blame their products. This also includes political figures, especially those that are candidates running for public office. Nestle reminds us, the readers, that these companies manipulate the people in the name of making money. This is capitalism at its finest and making money is what one should be doing during their lifetimes, but the question is when does it go too far.

As far as I am concerned, the tampering with and taking advantage of a natural resource, water, is where I feel that the soda industry is going too far. I feel that water is a necessity and that all humans should be entitled to access of clean water for a reasonable cost. In Chapter 7, Nestle brings about a statement historian Bartow Elmore made about "Coca-Cola Capitalism" and how it is "an extractive industry." He says...

"Like other extraction industries, it draws on natural resources and transfers the cost of those resources- water and agricultural land for growing sugar and corn, for example- to taxpayers. The public pays for municipal water supplies used to make soft drinks, for the railroads and highways used to transport the drinks, for the corn subsidies that reduce the price of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), for cleaning up the mess made by discarded cans and plastic bottles, and for the health care of soda drinkers who become ill." (pages 98-99).

I am already agitated as it is that my taxpayer money goes to ridiculous earmark causes such as research on how quails engage in sexual activity. The fact that I am paying for the mess that the soda industry engages is outrageous!

I will say that there are moments where a book gets a little too preachy and argues in favor of nanny state measures for the good of society, which also includes taking the time to encourage us the reader to argue in favor of restricting sodas in schools and implementing a tax on soda and other sugary drinks. I cannot help but think of my younger self and how bummed I would be if an adult figure of mine went to my school and told them they should not provide us with soda and other sugary drinks. While my older self would be a bit more appreciative that someone was looking out for my health, I still believe in the freedom of choice. A parent SHOULD have the right to not purchase soda or restrict soda from being consumed in their household, but that is their business and the way they should live. Nestle uses a lot of visuals, which I thought really served their purpose and made reading this far more accessible, and one of which was at the beginning of Chapter 8, on page 103, where the conservative thought is of personal choice, while the liberal thought leans on policy. I may have approached the comic a bit differently than was intended, but I think that one can look at this book and develop their own opinion, even if it does not stand exactly with Nestle's.

What I liked most about this book is how it DID give me the tools that I needed to develop a more informed opinion about the soda industry. I have been doing my best to avoid consuming food from major companies or those that obvious use GMOs and am pleased where they have taken it upon themselves to warn people that foods are "made with genetic engineering" when lawmakers and political figures wanted to keep us in the dark (prevent us from making ANY clear choice). It was, however, how soda companies use our money collected through taxes and their efforts to take control of our access to water (through methods like "Cap the Tap") that made me angry about how they are engaging in dirty tactics in order to benefit themselves and because they CAN. I like how this book took an objective approach to discussing soda, even if the position that was taken was heavily obvious, and the information and the way it was conveyed was amazing.

I feel that anyone that reads this book is going to get something out of it and will probably want to immensely decrease or cut soda out of their diet. If not, they will have plenty on their mind as they drink a soda and want to turn to water.

You can find my Literary Gladiators discussion about this book (containing spoilers) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl-Sb...

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

The chapter discussing soft drinks and SNAP had a tone I didn't quite care for. I would even go so far to say that it angered me. It had a more "war on the poor" sensibility than anything. While I understand that soda is bad for people; this does not deny someone their basic human right to self-determination. Just because someone needs help making ends meet, doesn't mean we as a society get to decide their diet.

If we want people to improve their diets, then we need to address food deserts, and the fact that bad food is far more affordable than good food. But banning someone from using their SNAP benefits to get a treat? No. That is too far. And just plain wrong.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an old story. A product, like tobacco, is on the market and causes harm. Corporate entities, those that make these harmful products, deny, fight, threaten, buy-off, pay-off, have research that shows their products are safe, though they are sponsored by scientists who are beholden to them. When these entities find themselves losing a share of the market these products are then sold to less developed countries and the poor. Now, we have a serious health risk, nationally and globally and the stakes are high. This is what is happening with the soda industry and Marion Nestle in Soda Politics, step-by step, clearly and concisely shows how the soda industry has become a public health concern and the tactics it has used to fight back against its critics. In this big, weighty book Marion Nestle unsparingly lays it all out and I was especially absorbed by the many ways that the soda industry has been challenged by health advocates and how they have gained traction in the public sphere.

One major disagreement I have of the strategies used by health advocates, however, is the strategy of denying SNAP clients the right to buy soda (or tobacco or anything else that is not forbidden to the general public). It reeks of paternalism, classism and belittles poor people. The poor in general are scapegoated for conditions they are not able to control, especially food desserts and lack of quality, convenient food. Strategies should be inclusive and not pit one group of people against the other especially when one group, poor people, have less power. It is not right.

Nevertheless I enjoyed reading this eye-opening book and I especially loved the seeing the subtitle "Taking on Big Soda and Winning."

Thank you to Netgalley and Oxford University Press for allowing me to review Soda Politics for an honest opinion.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

As you would expect from Marion Nestle, it's well-researched, and largely thorough, though I found it lacked the depth I expected as with her other books. Being well aware of the goings-on of the food industry and having read the likes of Food Politics and Fast Food Nation, I can't say much of this was new (and certainly not surprising). There was an aspect of advocacy in the book which many other offerings in the genre lack, though it was fairly straight-forward and often lacked examples of application. I wish there had been a keener focus on issues of health; a lot of the opening chapters were very careful about not making statements outright, which is fair, but doesn't make me feel particularly informed upon reading. I also wish there had been waaaay more focus on the issue of water given the sort of water crises that've arised in recent years. Overall it's a very solid book, but one I doubt I'll be revisiting.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will drinking a glass of cold, sparkling soda be soon the equivalent of smoking: you are a social pariah in the eyes of many, whilst providing a source of income for the producer and taxing government alike? You might not be able to draw a direct comparison since you are less likely to be hooked with an occasional glass of Coca-Cola, yet becoming a regular “hooked” consumer can have its side effects. There’s a whole world of soda politics that you possibly had never imagined.

This is an interesting book that looks, without recourse to hysteria or hyperbole, at the world of soda drinks, the role they play in our society and their real downside as these products contribute to poor dental hygiene, higher calorie intake, obesity and type-2 diabetes. Clearly a glass won’t harm you, but several glasses a day or more?

The author takes a forensic look at how the soda drinks industry works to get us hooked. Advertising is heavily used to make drinking soda seem normal, as normal as drinking a glass of milk or water. Would your football stadium hot dog be the same with a glass of water? What about a visit to the cinema, if you took milk with your over-priced popcorn? Carrot juice to accompany your hamburger at a fast-food joint?

Even after any health issues that can follow there is a dark side. Why would the soda drinks industry be pumping large amounts of money to lobby against changes that could impact on their bottom line? They may shout loudly about their ethical policies and corporate social responsibility, whilst shovelling money at lobbyists to head off initiatives that might stop their products being marketed towards the most vulnerable (children) in places where they gather such as schools or cinemas.

The author carefully comes out with her arguments. It is not a quick “all soda is bad” rant. Measured change is possible. Nobody is suggesting that all sodas should be banned, yet they are relatively cheap to produce and sold at a high profit. Alternative formulations and ingredients could be used to offer a more healthy soda, ideal for consumption in moderation, but that costs; both in terms of direct profit and potential sales. No wonder there’s a lack of demand to change things?

There is change but it does not come from “Big Soda”. The author notes, talking about public advocacy and campaigning: “…sodas are, in public health jargon, ‘low hanging fruit’ – easy targets. They contain sugars but nothing else of redeeming nutritional value. This explains in part why sodas are an example of successful advocacy. Soda consumption is falling. Americans are not buying Coke and Pepsi the way they used to, and are only partially replacing them with other sugary drinks. This did not happen accidentally. As any soda company executive will tell you, health advocacy has become the single greatest threat to company profits.” Yet this is not being replicated worldwide and the pace of change is slow. Maybe a wise company would seize this tidal wave and change course whilst it can. Corporate intransigency, on the other hand…

Think what you pay for your soda, take a typical 12 ounce serving (circa 330ml for those who use metric). The author mentions how a drink is made and the role ice has, before giving some stunning figures: “Ice performs four critical functions: it chills the drink, improves the taste, dilutes the ingredients, and reduces the retailer’s cost. If you pack ice to the brim, less than half the volume of your drink comes from the soda mix. Once ice is added, these ingredients are so diluted that the final cost of fountain drinks to the seller – including the cup, lid, and straw – comes to just over one cent per ounce. This explains why many places are so generous with free refills. Even though refills usually have less ice than the initial drink and end up costing the seller more, they are still highly profitable. Convenience stores, restaurants, sports facilities, and movie theatres make so much money on fountain sodas that they can well be generous: a typical return is more than 80 cents on the dollar.”

It can get worse, notes the author: “The larger the soda, the more sugar and calories it contains even if diluted with ice. But larger sizes do more than that. First, they encourage greater consumption. Researchers find people to consume more from large containers than small ones, even when they leave some behind. Second, large portions are confusing. People given larger servings tend to underestimate how much they are eating to a much greater extent than when given smaller portions. Smaller sugary drinks are healthier for three reasons: they provide less sugar and fewer calories. They discourage excessive intake. And they promote more realistic estimates of the amounts consumed.”

This reviewer likes a soda as must as the next person and even though you know the calorie count and have read the nutritional differences between a regular and light product it can be hard to change. Seeing the size of some of the drinks containers on sale at cinemas leads you to boggle. Sometimes one even struggles to finish the regular drink at a hamburger restaurant and who wants to take a few mouthfuls home; the obvious solution is to leave it, yet how many take the common route of “finishing it off” with a few gulps… tick, tick, tick goes the calorie counter…

One cannot add much more. There are two sides to every argument and the author notes this, witness the mass of reading notes, bibliography and deep index. If you really disbelieve a point, the author openly shows where she got the information from and you can follow the chain back and review matters.

For this reader, at least, it was fascinating, essential reading. Maybe it won’t change his limited soda intake but it sure won’t expand it!


Autamme.com

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

A toxic book from a toxic writer. Nestle writes about the sugar. But unlike Gary Taubes, this is a bureaucrat who wants power for himself and his minions following the path of Ralph Nader. The sugar problem itself is a problem generated by people like Nestle who were also supporting the trends of the day.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a soda pop drinker I found this book to be highly informative but even if you have never had a soda in your life the politics of soda appear to effect everyone. The focus is on the Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. Some of the subjects are: Ingredients of soda, health effects, soda industry (Big Soda), advertising to children, minorities and the poor; soda marketing tactics, environmental damage -including water resources, lobbying and public relations, and finally to tax or not to tax.

One of the most interesting subjects to me in this book was regarding "Protecting Public Water Resources" the author talks about the awards that Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have won including awards for using water more efficiently. Then discuses why these companies care about water resources - it's because "they have to", water is the main ingredient of soda. (p. 295) Water is used from the growing of the corn and sugar beets to the bottling process as well as an ingredient. "Coca-Cola ranks water as the second-most-prominent risk to its potential profitability, just after obesity."(p. 295) Although soda companies use massive amounts of water to produce their product it is a smaller amount when compared to other industries such as meat and dairy production. (p. 298)

Another interesting part of the book for me was the part about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Since two of my three children have numerous food allergies we have been reading food labels closely for years, that is when I noticed how many foods contain HFCS. Personally two items that really surprised me that contain HFCS were most chocolate milks and almost all sausages / brats. Regular table sugar contains about half glucose and half fructose but in HFCS there is more fructose than sucrose. Fructose is almost entirely metabolized in the liver and when consumed in excessive amounts it is converted to fat in the liver. (p.47) The book goes into detail in later chapters about how sodas are not that good for you when consumed in excess.

The last chapter of the book is called "Conclusion - Taking Action". Also at the end of many chapters there is a "Take Action" section that includes: tips for doing things in your own home as well as organizing friends / neighbors, involvement in local and national politics, boycotting, social media, and lobbying. Appendix, List of Tables, List of Figures, Acknowledgements, Notes, and Index are at the back of the book.

All in all this book kind of feels text bookish but I found it a very enjoyable read. Soda Politics has made me think of soda pop differently and how I really should give it up for good. This book covers so many topics there would seem to be something of interest to most people. I won my copy of this book from Goodreads and was not required to rate or review it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning - If you pick up a 500 page book named Soda Politics, expect to get a in depth look at how the soda industry works.

Marion Nestle does a wonderfully honest and transparent job of presenting the truth about the soda industry (focusing on Pepsi and Coca Cola). She breaks down all aspects of soda and politics to make it understandable and interesting. First, she dives into what soda is made up of and the health risks associated with drinking too much. She then presents the industry and describes the inter-workings of corporations - how they advertise and target certain groups. Nestle then moves on to discuss marketing and lobbying in alliance of how advocacy can try to counteract some of the power of the industry.

While this book was not necessarily surprising - it was eye opening, confirming some of the beliefs I held about how big business works but also throwing in some surprises. Nestle proves to me, that industry is so intertwined in our culture - and that it is time to recognize the damage done, and start standing up for what is right for humanity. The sad part is that the soda companies (and other big business as well) have already opinionated so many people that they are actually fighting for the rights of the company without realizing it.

What I really did like about this book was that Nestle was able to break down topics into talking points and present them into tables. So that you could have a decent argument with someone and use what she presented. She also used the table method to outline timelines of soda actions and to present all the "health," minority group associations, and the like that the soda industry invests in in order to gain allies. She also presents a lot of advertisements and cartoons that deal with the soda industry.

Read this book. Discover what's really wrong with America. It's not just soda. It's how we are essentially duped. And because of the power in industry holds over all of us - we are scared to act in our favor - or it's just incredibly hard because, let's face it, they have more money than we do. The amount of money these companies make and spend should outrage you. And remember - they are counting on you to clean up their mess.

[Eduardo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that this book is part of the larger discussion from Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health but important enough that it warrants its own book. Nestle lays out all the facts and figures that a reader can handle through the first section of the book and then gets down to the task of explaining how Big Soda and the general public interpret, manipulate, ignore, and are impacted by that information.

While the book certainly has its place, it does feel a bit redundant for readers of Food Politics. Nonetheless, there is much new information that would have been pedantic had it been included there. By making this into a separate book, Nestle is able to draw some comparisons that would have been out of place or incorrect if brought up in Food Politics.

The book includes activist ideas at the end of chapters, which is where the "and Winning" in the title comes from. Nestle includes many ideas here that range from easy to Quixote-esque but they are certainly interesting to contemplate for those of us who have not graduated to full-blown activism.

The parts of the book that discussed how Big Soda has affected minorities and the poor definitely left me feeling conflicted. I leave it to future readers to decide for themselves if they want to be on Nestle's side, against her, or somewhere uncomfortably in the middle.

[Rick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I started reading this book with high hopes and found it very disappointing. My hope was for something along the lines of Fast Food Nation. What I got was some nutritionist's theory on why soda is bad. OK let's start with the idea we all know that. But rather than citing dense statistics which back up that claim a better writer could have brought a much stronger human element into. All of the human aspects are rendered cold by an obsession with statistics and dry, boring story telling. The parts on the societal aspects including the call to action are written in a very dull and dry tone. Lastly, the possible next steps aren't a call to action as much as some advice others may take.

This book tells a great and important story but it's wasted by poor writing. When a call to action is needed, a basic scientific study is provided. o ahead and read it because it is important and, at times, enraging but it wont truly make you outraged.

[Joseph Boquiren · Rating 3 out of 5]

An illuminating book on how Big Soda insinuates itself into the fabric of our very lives. Marion Nestle writes about how a companies hawking sugary drinks became multinational conglomerates, how hidden sugars impact our health (adversely) and how soda companies get their hooks into us at very young ages. Throughout the book Nestle shows how soda companies aggressively market to children, ethnic minorities, and developing nations. Sprinkled throughout each chapter she outlines how to combat point by point the tactics employed by big soda and how to use grassroots advocacy in raising the awareness of how unhealthy sugary drinks are to all of us.

The book does not make for lighthearted entertaining reading. Instead it reads more like a tactical manual on how to deal with a powerful opponent.

[Amanda Reynolds-Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nestle focuses almost entirely on full-sugared sodas, ignoring diet almost completely. Her coverage of Big Soda's tactics to keep sales up, from aggressive lobbying campaigns to actively advertising to minorities, gives you a lot to think about. I would say her research and volume of info is more than adequate. However, the book lacks the strong voice and passion of subject that I was hoping. I was expecting something more like The Omnivore's Dilemma but got something that often read like a text book. The beginning was almost painful to read as it was filled with so many dry facts and numbers that I felt myself going cross-eyed. The info is there but I do think the presentation left something to be desired.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about the history of soda politics. It is inspiring to see how grassroots activists have made progress against big soda companies. Soda has a host of problems which can lead to obesity and type 2 diabetes. This adds costs to the public in the form of healthcare and other expenses. In addition, soda companies use public water to bottle their drinks, which they pay a negligible price for and then resell to consumers at a large profit. Overall this book has taught me not to drink sugary sodas and has provided good frameworks for advocacy - not just for soda advocacy but any type of grassroots effort.

[Zebulon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book details many alarming facets of the soda industry. The most egregious, I believe, is the "indirect" marketing to children that inculcates poor health attitudes and behaviors. The industry is self regulating in this area and has established policies to not "actively" market to children under twelve. Their management is purposefully naive. The author proposes soft and hard activitism including boiling soda into sludge and leaving a baby tooth bathed in soda for a few days (it dissolves!!). She also famously lobbied to put pictures of diabetic ulcers on soda cans. This is a very compelling book.

[Ron Pelham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sweet Devil of Deception

Everybody likes sweet stuff. We are programmed to go for the sweetness. But not all the time, every day, in such concentrated high doses. Sugary drink companies have hijacked our common sense through outright lies, savvy advertising, and buying off our politicians and some unscrupulous scientists. This book presents the facts through historical timelines. It is shocking to see how Big Soda companies closely parallel that of death merchant tobacco companies. Read for yourself and protect you, your family, friends and loved ones from this sweet poison. Big Soda is clearly a Big Health destroyer...big time...

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impressively exhaustive account of the soda industry, its effects on human health, and its extensive efforts to ensure profit triumphs over health concerns.

Full review is here: http://en.healthnexus.ca/news/book-re...

The version I read was an electronic galley so it lacked formatting and most of the tables -- I can see that the final version will be even stronger with the inclusion of that material!

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

More thorough review to come.

In a nutshell: have loved and followed Nestle's work for years. This book has a great analysis of the industry and public health implications. But I personally wasn't compelled by the "news you can use" soft activism elements. Some may be (and may find the tips insightful), but as someone who worked professionally in organizing, I was just begging for more thorough analysis of the industry in place of all the activism checklists.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard getting through the dry rundown of numbers in the first few chapters. This book is a comprehensive explaination of the marketing and lobbying strategies soda companies (Coca Cola and Pepsi) use to sell an unhealthy product to consumers who are increasingly suffering the consequences (diabetes and obesity) of over comsumption of drinks full of sugar.

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway!!!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores how advertising and politics go hand in hand to exploit the public - all in the name of money. The dire health effects on the human body of soda have been ignored for far too long. It makes you wonder if the pharmaceutical companies are in on it too as they will make money on the drug treatment for diseases caused by soda. Has your doctor ever asked how much soda you drink ?

[Susan Csoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soda politics is expertly written and simple to comprehend. Its all about the soda industry. How these big companies push their products onto the buyer while overlooking the harmful effects the sugar in their products have on us, the consumer. THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRSTREADS FOR THIS FREE BOOK !!!!!

[Lisa Konet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and interesting look at how bad soda and carbonated beverages are for people to drink. Lots of statistics and graphs/comparisons of the amount of sugars in all "soda and soda-like" drinks. Great and I learned a lot, but it seemed like the author was ranting/complaining and on a soap box about taking a stand against these drinks. A worthy nonfiction book

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

More academic than I had anticipated, but really interesting stuff with the history of soda's advertising, product development and other issues through the years. The wealth of info -- lots of charts for easier understanding of multiple issues -- makes me a better consumer, especially when viewing the plethora of soda promotions and advertising.

[Mohammed · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب رائع من متخصصة وناشطة في هذا المجال، يأخدك الكتاب في تفاصيل كثيرة ومتنوعة ويوضح لك حقائق نجهلها كمستهلكين للمشروبات الغازية، من أهم النقاط المذكورة في الكتاب أن المشروبات الغازية يقف خلفها سياسيات قوية مدعومة بالمال حتى أنها تقف بثبات أمام المعارضين لها.

الكتاب رائع وكان من الممكن أن يختصر في صفحات أقل.

[Bookfan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would not surprise me in the least if there's a Medal of Freedom somewhere in Marion Nestle's future for her contributions to public health and nutrition. Soda Politics is yet another example of what fact-based activism can accomplish. Brava, Ms. Nestle, for continuing to fight the good fight!

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

B A bit more detail that I ever cared to know about the soda industry (I hate soda!) but super interesting look at the soda industry, how it shapes politics, its contributions to obesity, and so many other things. Fascinating.

[Scott Browne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all parents and for those of you who might be against capping soda sizes and banning their advertisements. The soda companies playbook comes right from the cigarette companies deceptive and devious practices.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Går väldigt bra igenom läskföretag som Coca Cola och Pepsis arbete att samtidigt verka som att de jobbar för vår bättre hälsa, samtidigt som de slåss med näbbar och klor mot allting som kan hota försäljningssiffror.

[Sean Homenick · Rating 4 out of 5]

a detailed look at the landscape created by big soda, written primarily for fellow advocates and regulators. quite comprehensive, with a specific focus on the American beverage market. perhaps a little clinical at times.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting throughout. While the author's activist tone is understandable, it does greatly detract from the objectivity and power of the book. Regardless, a worthwhile read if you have any interest in the soda industry from either a regulatory or investment angle.

[R.J. Gilmour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nestle looks at the politics of soda in the western world and how companies market and sell their product to consumers and governments. The book would be an important primer for anyone interested in how big food works, but I found too much of the information repetitive.