Sugary drinks are a major contributor to rising rates of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Plastic pollution, carbon emissions and water depletion are serious global concerns and are significant drivers of the climate crisis. Children’s exposure to pervasive, unhealthy food marketing is a major risk factor for childhood obesity.
A spokesperson said: “Sugary drinks harm people and our planet. By accepting billions from Coca-Cola to sponsor the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) implicitly endorses a world where health and environmental harms are ‘sports-washed’ away, undermining commitments to use sport to create a better world.
“By kicking Big Soda out of the Olympics, the IOC will show the world that it is not just committed to talking about these values, but that it is truly committed to make the world a better place through sport.”
The petition has been supported by Chris van Tulleken. To find out more about the petition, visit here.