article_snippet: If a column in honor of heart health suggests a can of Coke as a snack, you might want to read the fine print.
article_snippet: In February, for instance, several wrote online pieces for American Heart Month, with each including a mini-can of Coke or small soda as a snack idea.
article_snippet: For Coca-Cola Co., the public relations strategy with health experts in February focused on the theme of 'Heart Health & Black History Month.'
article_snippet: One post refers to a 'refreshing beverage option such as a mini can of Coca-Cola.'
article_snippet: Another suggests 'portion-controlled versions of your favorites, like Coca-Cola mini cans, packs of almonds or pre-portioned desserts for a meal.'
article_snippet: The focus on the smaller cans isn't surprising.
article_snippet: Sugary drinks have come under fire for fueling obesity rates and related ills, and the last time Coke's annual U.S. soda volume increased was in 2002, according to the industry tracker Beverage Digest.
article_snippet: More recently, Coke is pushing Coke mini-cans as a guilt-free way to enjoy cola.
article_snippet: its mini-cans also fetch higher prices on a per ounce basis, so even if people are drinking less soda, Coke says Coke can grow sales.
article_snippet: The message that Coke can be a healthy snack is debatable.
article_snippet: Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University and a member of the nutrition committee at the American Heart Association, said a smaller can of soda might be a 'move in the right direction' for someone who regularly drinks soda.
article_snippet: Still, someone who regularly drinks soda wouldn't recommend soda as a snack.
article_snippet: Robyn Flipse, the dietitian who wrote the sponsored article for Coke, said someone who regularly drinks soda would suggest mini-cans of Coke even if someone who regularly drinks soda wasn't being paid.
article_snippet: Although someone who regularly drinks soda doesn't drink soda someone who regularly drinks soda, someone who regularly drinks soda said mini-cans of Coke are a way for people who like soda to enjoy it sensibly. '
article_snippet: Flipse said the idea to mention mini-cans of Coke in the post was someone who regularly drinks soda and came about after a public relations agency for Coke suggested a piece on heart health and asked what someone who regularly drinks soda might 'work in.'
highlights_snippet: Coca-Cola   is struggling with declining soda consumption in the U.S.
  In February, several online pieces for American Heart Month mentioned  a mini-can of Coke or small soda as a snack idea .