About this episode

This episode explores the history and marketing of sugary drinks and their impact on consumer behavior and society.

Over a hundred years ago, we started drinking soda. Today, soda is part of a larger category called sugar sweetened beverages, that includes energy drinks, Dunkin’ frozen matcha lattes, giant Boba teas and Starbucks strawberry acai refreshers. How did these companies tap into our innate cravings to sell us more drinkable calories than we are supposed to eat in a week? In this episode we explore why we are so susceptible to sugar and how soda companies influenced the way we drink today, marketing their drinks aggressively (especially to children), externalizing costs, and making the consumer and society at large responsible: for our excess calorie consumption and for the waste created by single use drink containers.

Topics covered

• sugar consumption
• soda history
• marketing strategies
• caloric intake
• consumer responsibility
• waste management

Keywords

• soda
• sugar sweetened beverages
• marketing
• calories
• waste
• energy drinks
• Dunkin’
• Starbucks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dunkin’, Starbucks

Products: Boba teas, soda, sugar sweetened beverages

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