Lawsuits Accuse Coca-Cola, Other Diet Soft Drink Makers, Of False Advertising

Three class action complaints filed by several law firms in New York earlier this month allege that consumers have been duped into thinking that diet beverages sold by major soft drink companies will help them lose or manage weight. But in fact, the suits say, drinking the beverages regularly actually leads to weight gain. The brain perceives beverages sweetened with sugar substitutes like aspartame to be sweet, then misreads the number of calories present, and slows down metabolism. Calories are then stored as fat. Because of this, the suit accuses Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Coca-Cola Company, and PepsiCo of false, misleading, and unlawful marketing. Coca-Cola called the lawsuit “completely meritless” and said it would “vigorously defend against it.”