AlterNet: Vitaminwater's Empty Calories Are at the Heart of What's Wrong with the Beverage Industry

Vitaminwater's Empty Calories Are at the Heart of What's Wrong with the Beverage Industry

By Andrea Whitfill, AlterNet. Posted August 12, 2009.

Vitaminwater tells its customers to "hydrate responsibly." That means not drinking 125-calorie sugar rushes like ... Vitaminwater.



Many millions of Americans continue to seek all sorts of ways to become healthier and control their weight, but let's get real; it's not working. The health trend continues, yet our obesity rates remain on the rise.

In this past year, the obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states, according to a new report from the Trust for American's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the state of Colorado is the only state with an obesity rate below 20 percent at 18.9. In 1991, there was only one state with an obesity rate above 20 percent.

Based upon the upward trend, you would expect sales to have risen at fast-food joints. Maybe, but that is not the data that has me raising an eyebrow.

Consider this paradox: As we have become "larger" as a nation, our sales at health food a stores have skyrocketed. Between 2001 and 2008, sales of natural food and drink products at specialty stores in the United States rose from an estimated $11.9 billion to $19.6 billion.

What is it that we are not doing right? ............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/workplace/141912/vitaminwater%27s_empty_calories_are_at_the_heart_of_what%27s_wrong_with_the_beverage_industry/

I've taken up farming the natural way (cause there are absolutely no jobs around here) and selling at the Farmer's Market. Do you know how much work that is?

The weight is just dripping off, just like the sweat off my nose. I go to bed absolutely exhausted. But I have the prettiest tomatoes, the freshest eggs, the tastiest squash. The mixed green lettuce I grow is to die for. You don't need salad dressing to eat it. It is just so flavorful.

But damn it's hard work. I don't ever get on my treadmill or go running anymore, I need the energy to turn the earth, pick the vegetables, water, clean pens, weed, plant... Now I have a huge greenhouse and the work will never end.

I mean hey, okay. Who, at first glance wouldn't doubt water? I mean... it's water! It's flavorless (for the most part), odorless (at least, you hope). it doesn't have a list of ingredients. Even bottled waters only list, you know, "water" as their ingredients. I mean jesus! That stuff NEEDS to have some nutrition packed into it, goddamn!

And then you pause, and remember...

This stuff has been sustaining life for FOUR FUCKING BILLION YEARS. Dinosaurs didn't need to "nutrify" their water! There was no guarna floating around in the precambrian soup to give those eukaryotes that extra "RUSH!" they needed to overcome the prokaryote opponents! Gigantic fucking glaciers covered the entire world in the Permain, and came back for an encore during the Neocene, and you know what? Not a drop of Vitamin C and Fructose in that mess.

Water's fine, stop fucking with it. You're not made to get your protien with a straw, you're not a goddamned mosquito.

I'm going to put that on a T-shirt. :thumbsup:

First off,most people assume that since it's water, that it's low in calories. It's not.

Secondly, the name Vitamin Water. Vitamins and water, right? Sorry no. The entire product name is deceptive.

Thirdly, if you look at the nutritional information on a Vitamin water, that is also deceptive. The calorie content
says 25. Ok, fine--you figure 25 calories is not that big of a deal. But wait...not as visible is information that
each bottle is 2.5 servings. So really, it's 75 calories. How ridiculous that a bottle of water has 2.5 servings.
It's one bottle of water. What? Am I supposed to pass it around and share with 1.5 other people?

The makers of vitamin water use deceptive and misleading marketing and nutritional labels.

It should be called Sugar-Water With Vitamins.

If it's you, stop it right now. There's a drinking fountain up at the front of the store, if you're thirsty. That water is free.

there are many rational ways to lose weight. i used to be a personal trainer, and had many successful clients who didn't drink this vitaminwater crap (don't get me started on "oxygenated water" lol)... the industry promotes stuff that dumb and trendy consumers will buy. that's their fricking fault, imo. for god's sake, vitaminwater is merely sugar water with vitamins added. drink a cup of water, and take a multivitamin. it's cheaper and more effective. better than that, eat real food that provides you with bioavailable vitamins in their natural form