Pursuits

Coke Confronts Its Big Fat Problem

Inside the relaunch of America’s No. 1 soft drink
Illustration by David Parkins

Sandy Douglas drinks one Coca-Cola every day. He likes it early, before noon, sometimes accompanied by a cup of coffee. “You get an espresso, you get your caffeine and have this for lunch, and you’re ahead,” he says between sips from Coke’s old-fashioned 8-ounce glass bottle. When it’s over, he doesn’t allow himself a second. “I will probably have a Coke Zero in the afternoon at some point,” he concedes, but not another regular one because it has too many calories. “That’s approximately my daily regimen.”

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