Consumer groups on five continents are promoting a new "
Dump Soda" campaign to educate people about the links between soft-drink marketing and rising childhood obesity. "Multinational giants like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are flooding the world with beverages that are nothing more than 'liquid candy,'" said Bruce Silverglade, legal director of the Washington, D.C.-based
Center for Science in the Public Interest, which is coordinating the campaign with the
International Association of Consumer Food Organizations. "As a result, consumers, including children, in all corners of the globe are increasingly developing obesity, 'adult onset' diabetes, and other health problems."