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| Coca-Cola Global commitments |
No, Coke did not become healthy all of a sudden!
But, they are running a global health drive, and advocating moderation and a focus on exercise as one of the main fixers of today's obesity rates!
They are working with the medical profession as well as industry bodies, and looking to expand into the education sector as well.
I was intrigued when I was invited to a Coca-Cola Mommy Blogger workshop last week. What I was told was no new information, but it resonated with my own thoughts around health and fitness.
I am sitting too much, and our kids are not getting enough exercise... The electronic age has had a definitive negative impact on our health! It is a global pandemic!
Coca-Cola is reaching out to mommy bloggers, also in South Africa, to help raise awareness about how we change this. As moms we can make an impact in our kid's lives!
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| Dr Torres on the right |
Dr Georgie Torres talked specifically about
Exercise is medicine, and that studies have shown that if you only change your physical activity, it is possible to reverse most of our lifestyle diseases of today.
Coca-Cola is the first and founding remaining sponsors of this global initiative of
Exercise is medicine:
The initiative aims to:
1. Creates broad awareness:
Exercise is indeed medicine!
2. Makes "level of physical activity" a standard vital sign question in each patient's visit.
3. Health care and physicians should become consistently effective in counselling about exercise.
4. Campaigns for policy changes in public and private sector - supports physical activity counselling and referrals in clinical settings.
5. There should be a perception among public and patients that their health care providers should and will ask about prescribed exercise
6. Physicians and health care providers should be physically active themselves!
It is worrying that a statistic of 80.3% is mentioned of children not meeting their physical activity levels.
Ideas or tips to reduce sitting times: (For us and our children)
(The point is in finding something that makes us happy when being active.)
- limit time watching TV and electronic games;
- remove TV and computers from bedroom;
- use a timer to keep track when using electronic devices;
- walk or cycle with children at least once a week;
- build activity into homework;
- think of fun things to do;
- important to be a role model;
- give child alternatives;
- give child a bike;
- active play equipment, such as trampolines
Yes, you can drink that Coke as part of a moderate diet!
Too much of it won't be good! As too much of anything is not good! (That we all know!)
I don't have a problem with drinking too much of Coke as I rarely have a sip, but I do have to keep tabs on myself with regards coffee, and eating too much sweets.
We all have our little vices that we need to keep in check!
It helps to know that increasing our activity can make a big difference in our health and that we can make a significant increase in our life span.
This video by Dr Mike Evans is a good reminder:
23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?
Also check out Coca-Cola's website on Health:
The Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness - Southern Africa
