Coca-Colonization

Coca-Cola has expanded its reach into many cultures and lives all over the world. Its influence can be seen in its presence in our movies, television programs, decorations, vending machines on every corner, and its myriad advertisements. In addition, Coca-Cola has worked its way into traditions. This is seen in areas of Latin America where Coke has been integrated into the local cuisine and religious practices. For instance, during the 1970s in Mexico, religious brotherhoods substituted rum with Coca-Cola to aid in the communication with spirits without having to worry about the growing occurrence of alcoholism (Nagata, Barg, Valeggia, & Bream, 2011). The integration of Coke can be described by the term Coca-Colonization, which refers to the alterations in diet, economic development, and changes in health beliefs as they relate to the consumption of soft drinks (Nagata et al., 2011).

Another example of the adverse effects of the introduction of Coke into a community is with the Tz’utujil Mayan. As the consumption of

these sugary drinks increase so have the cases of obesity, diabetes, and malnutrition in the community. There is misinformation about the health implications of the product as 1/3 of the sample size used in the study of these people believe that drinking Coke is healthy and can be used as a remedy for sore throats and other aliments and is often prescribed by ancient healers in the community (Nagata et al., 2011). As this beverage gets further integrated into a culture, so do the negative side effects, like obesity and under-nutrition. However, most of the time soft drinks, like Coke, are cheaper than bottled water, therefore decrease the prevalence of water-borne diseases (Nagata et al., 2011). The integration of Coke into cultures has also been seen in the United States. It is evident through their old advertisement campaigns that promoted the idea that Coca-Cola was an essential at any American celebration, like Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.