Calculated: Unusual ways to burn off a can of Coke

Kate Midena
November 08, 2012
news.com.au

Coca-Cola have invented a calculator to help you figure out the best ways to burn off calories. Picture: Coca-Cola

COCA-COLA have invented a calculator which tells you exactly what you need to do to burn off your lunchtime can of fizz.

The Work It Out Calculator, developed with the help of doctors and exercise physiologists, highlights “the unusual, fun and interesting ways you can achieve energy balance.”

And unusual is the right word. According to the calculator, one can of normal Coke can be burned off by doing 22 minutes of badminton.

A can of Sprite can be obliterated by 73 minutes of ironing, a can of Fanta canceled out by 13 minutes of stair climbing, and a bottle of vitamin water can be watered away with eight minutes of gardening.

Even Powerade, the drink of athletes, makes the list, which can be zapped off with five minutes of Zumba.

The calculator’s aim is to help you figure out “how you can balance the calories in your favourite Coca-Cola drink with those used up by popular exercises, pastimes and household tasks,” but it also educates you about why nutrition is important, and why exercise matters.

Among the tips, advice and questions addressed is this one: Do Coca-Cola’s drinks contribute to obesity?

“Obesity does not have a single root cause. It is complex and impacted by many factors” the site reads.

“Managing weight is a matter of balancing the calories burned and the calories taken in. People consume many different food and drinks so no one single food or drink alone is responsible for people being overweight or obese. But all calories count, including calories from our drinks.”

While the site is UK-based, the drinks and the exercise options offered are all available in Australia.

Figures have been calculated based on the energy output of a 60kg female, which is synonymous with Coca-Cola’s target market, but the calculator is intuitive enough to be able to be used for any weight.

Read more: