"Sweet and Deadly" author: Why are we still drinking 12 ounces of soda every day?

Peter Bergen : In 2020 , 2.2 million new cases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease linked to sugary soft drinks.

He says average American drinks about 12 ounces of sugary sodas a day.

Like tobacco companies, Coke has spent millions spinning science to hide soda's health costs from the public.

Bergen says Coke has been at this game longer than tobacco industry.

Coca-Cola trumpeted its success in removing calories from the American diet through changing its product formulation, portion size, and promotion.

But the company didn't mention that Coke could remove far more calories by taking full-sugar beverages off the market or reducing its advertising of those products.

Coke has created this elaborate parallel world to mislead consumers about the health risks of sugar.

Murray Carpenter is a health and science journalist and the author of " Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick" and " Caffeinated: How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts and Hooks Us ." This story is adapted from " Sweet and Deadly: How Coca-Cola Spreads Disinformation and Makes Us Sick" by Murray Carpenter . Copyright 2025 Massachusetts Institute of Technology . Business Insider's Discourse stories provide perspectives on the day 's most pressing issues, informed by analysis, reporting, and expertise..