The Real Thing (sort of)

current weight problems.

According to the company, the boys and girls in white coats have laboured for five years developing the drink, which is described as the closest the company has yet come to replicating the classic Coke taste.

This doesn’t mean that they have, of course, it just means that it’s the closest they’ve managed.

Still, hats off for making the effort, for the launch comes as obesity is in the spotlight in New Zealand as never before.

And it’s sugary drinks, such as Coca-cola, that shoulder much of the blame. They are the highest contributor of sugar in the diets of our children.

That said, let’s not forget other ills, such as too many hours spent in front of TV or computer screens, a lack of exercise and too much junk food.

Body Mass Index figures (BMI) show that 31 per cent of New Zealand children aged 2-14 are overweight or obese.

That rises to 43 per cent of Maori children and 46 per cent of Pasifika.

However, they’re not being born any heavier, so it’s lifestyle and diet that are causing the problem. Take television, for instance. Nearly 45 per cent of the under-14s spend more than the recommended two hours in front of a screen each day.

The Government has had its eye on the growing obesity problem for some time and has now announced it plans to start measuring 15 indicators of children’s health.

These include the amount of time they spend staring at screens of all different types, their levels of physical activity, and the amount of sugary drink, fast food and fruit and vegetables they eat.

The information gathered will help to form a national picture of our children’s health.

There is already a national plan to cut obesity, including family-based nutrition, activity and lifestyle interventions and changes to the marketing of junk food.

For if things don’t change some youngsters could end up living shorter lives than their parents and grow up to develop conditions such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Cutting sugary drinks is certainly a step in the right direction.

It’s good to see the manufacturers acknowledging that they have a part to play.

However, if you really want to help keep yourself slim, you’re still best off sticking to water.