Pepsico plans to target teens with mall lounges in Florida, California and Illinois, where youngsters will play Xbox video games and watch videos, Caroline Wilbert of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
But let’s face it, the raisin d’etre for these mall spots is to sell sugary, caffeinated Pepsi products — and to grab brand-loyal fans for life.
Coke is actually second to the gate with this mall-soda hangout concept. In 2003, Pepsi’s rival opened two Coca-Cola Red Lounges in malls in California and Illinois, and more may be added down the road, too.
Despite my distaste for pushing soda to unsuspecting teens, I’ve gotta grudgingly admit that opening soda lounges in malls is a clever marketing ploy to boost sales. But, the simple reality is that cocktail lounge-inspired places are essentially a blatant way to hook teens early so that they’ll keep coming back for the rest of their lives.
But, as more and more medical studies are showing, guzzling lots of soft drinks also can lead to health problems galore.
I wonder, do they sell water or any healthy foods at all in these soda spots?
One thought on “Pepsi Targets Teens”
Connie – this is not good news !! I don’t have kids but I am the overbearing auntie to my ‘sugar addicted’ niece and nephew – and I already see compromises in their health which I believe is connected to sugar. One of the things that really concerns me is the recent rise in osteoporosis among teens and I wonder how these kids will fare when they get into their teens. I believe what is behind osteo in kids is related to over consumption of drinking sodas – because they contain phosphates that leach calcium from bones! I was recently reading about the researcher Robert P. Heaney, MD,and his group at Omaha, Nebraska’s Creighton University. They studied a group of 30 women who routinely drank from two to seven, 12-oz cans of soda daily. They found significant increases in the amount of calcium lost in the urine of those that drank two or more sodas a day. Wonder how it’s affecting these kids who drink soda all day?
Well, here again, we’ve got to bring it back home. Giving the children healthier beverages at home and teaching them the ill effects of sugar related foods and drinks. In my home, our favorite low glycemic, high antioxidant, alkaline beverage is Ningxia Red juice made from wolfberries from China. I get it directly from the company – it’s not available on store shelves. If any of your readers are interested, have them contact me!
Marilee Tolen RN, HomeSpaLady.com
http://www.healingenergies.com
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