I mean when I said coffee shop I was imagining Starbucks.

But that seems a little weird. Does coming from a local soda shop suddenly make the drinks have fewer calories or less sugar?

You didn't say that. And I didn't say it either. And it's got nothing to do with anything.

Then what does it have to do with?

* Soda, like all sweets, are bad for your health if not consumed in moderation or at least with mindfulness about their nutritional content.

* Large food-stuff manufactures are quite good at convincing consumers to buy their products and choose their brand over others with very expensive ad campaigns.

What I’m not convinced of, and what doesn’t follow from these, is that ads are effective at persuading consumers to buy and consume their products on top of their regular diets which is what would be required for them to be a public health issue.

Yes, I too assume that despite being a 600 billion USD/yr business, advertising doesn't really work.

If a given person is eating a 2000 calorie diet then I don't believe the presence of ads will suddenly make them eat a 2500 calorie diet to accommodate some products they saw in an ad.

Advertising can be 100% effective but it doesn't make peoples' stomachs bigger.

well you must totally disagree with the head of advertising at every single large company on the planet.

I wonder who is wrong.