Brandweek 10/30: New Health Drinks Flood Market

Remember when the Atkins’ Diet was the “in” thing to do? Not eating anything but meat was guaranteed to make you drop pants sizes. What about the South Beach Diet that promised you weight loss as you progressed through carbohydrate-increasing phases? When I think of a particular weight loss program I think of the Zone Diet. MTV did a special on celebrities using this diet to mail order each of their “balanced meals” for three weeks at a time.

Forget the diets, a new trend is growing and in 2007, beverage makers Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Glaceu, and Snapple are introducing drinks that “guarantee weight-loss, cell damage-reducing antioxidants and natural energy.” The Wellness and Functional Beverage Market has seen tremendous growth-sales up from $41 billion in 1999 to $55 billion in 2005 (Beverage Marketing, NY).

An example of new health drinks:
Coca-Cola is introducing:
Enviga-sparkling green tea that burns calories
H2Odwalla enhanced water
Nutraceutical versions of Diet Coke
New juices designed to help women with skincare, weight management detoxification

I was amazed when I first read this article because being an athlete, I know that weight loss involves physical activity and monitoring your nutrition, but these new products make running and lifting weights unmotivating. I think it would be great if I could sit on my couch, watch television, and lose weight doing it but I don’t think these drinks will be effective. Slim Fast is a weight-loss drink but you still have to work out and eat smaller portions. I think these new health drinks are making society lazier. I don’t understand why people can’t put aside a half-hour of their time and commit it to exercising.

Erica Lee