Obesity row over Coke football deal

A MULTI-MILLION pound sponsorship deal between the football Premier League and Coca-Cola has been criticised by child health campaigners.

The drinks giant is joining Cadbury and Carling, which are already members of a group of seven key sponsors.

At the same time, McDonald’s has a partnership with the football associations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to sponsor children’s football.

Now a group representing doctors and charities fighting Britain’s obesity epidemic have criticised the way brands associated with weight gain are using sport to target children and others.

Caroline Cerny, of the Obesity Health Alliance, suggested junk food firms are using the sponsorship of sport to circumvent rules preventing them from using advertising to target children. She said: ‘We are concerned the partnerships between Premier League and companies like Coca-Cola and Cadbury create an association between healthy lifestyles and unhealthy foods.’

But general manager of Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland, Jon Woods, said: ‘Our strategy is to become a total drinks company and that means growing beyond Coca-Cola to develop a range of drinks to suit more consumers on more occasions.’

The Premier League’s managing director, Richard Masters, said: ‘[Coca-Cola] is excellent at communicating to fans across the globe and they have some exciting ideas... that will see the league benefit.’