In The News: Vitamin Water Called To The Mat

Less than two hours ago, Reuters reported that The Center for Science in the Public Interest "filed a class action lawsuit against Coca-Cola Co, accusing the company of making deceptive health claims about its Vitamin Water beverages."

Can't say I disagree.

It is precisely Vitamin Water's cutesy and health-oriented advertising that has resulted in "I don't drink soda" types buying into what is, essentially, vitamin-fortified sugar water.

For more information on this beverage, please read this "You Ask/I Answer" post from August of 2007.

Coca Cola, meanwhile, is dismissing this as an attention-seeking move by CSPI, claiming their nutrition facts label tells an accurate tale.

Okay, but that is not what CSPI is challenging.

Rather, it is "the company's claims [that] the drinks reduce the risk of chronic disease and eye disease, promote healthy joints and support immune function" that are being called out as deceptive.

There is also the issue of the particular names attributed to each flavor (including "defense", "energy", and "rescue").

Obviously, Vitamin Water depends on those healthy-sounding terms for sales.

Otherwise, their fruit punch flavor would simply be named "fruit punch" rather than "revive."

I strongly support more regulation surrounding health claims on these types of products. What are your thoughts?

You Ask, I Answer/In The News: Heart Disease

In the May 28, 2008 Willamette Week Murmurs column there's a story about a man doing 25 months in state prison for assault.

He's suing Multnomah County and a Philadelphia-based food distributor for serving food he says led to a near-fatal heart fibrillation.

He claims he was subjected to “criminal inhumanity” in 2007 at the county’s Inverness Jail, where he says food did not comply with the low-fat diet prescribed by his cardiologist.

Do you think this lawsuit has any merit?

-- David Brown
Kalispell, MT

Very coincidental timing! A friend sent me a link to that story 15 minutes before I received your question.

I was very intrigued and planned on sharing it here.

I have looked for more details on this case but have been unable to get anything beyond a short paragraph with the most basic information.

(NOTE: I called the Sheriff's Office and left a message with Deputy Travis Gullberg, who handles press inquiries. Let's see if I hear anything!)

What would help me determine the "merit" of this lawsuit is this man's cardiac health upon being admitted to prison.

If he already had heart disease, it is important that he follow a prescribed low-fat diet plan in order to help reverse some of the damage.

If there is no diagnosis of heart disease in his past, it will certainly be a very hard case to win.

Of course, there are other legal issues here (i.e.: was the jail notified of his special diet needs by his cardiologist?) but this will be an interesting case to keep an eye on.