A Breakthrough for Kids and Colas?

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The news comes on the heels of the industry's voluntary agreement with the Obama administration to put calorie counts on the front of all vending machines and bottles and cans of cola. And it previews a series of important and prophylactic initiatives by companies like Coca Cola that will be unveiled later in the year. 


These companies know that soda consumption accounts for a large number of extra calories that kids consume, and they don't want to be demonized for contributing to childhood obesity, or subject to aggressive new regulation -- and Obama's regulators seem to be in the regulatin' mood. 

Past "voluntary" initiatives have often turned out to be punchless -- so anti-obesity advocates will be watching very carefully to see whether the companies are operating in good faith. 

Note: Coca-Cola seems to be a sponsor of the site. They had nothing to do with the provenance of this reporting. 
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Atlantic contributing editor Marc Ambinder is co-writing a book on national security and secrecy. More


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