Obesity is by far the leading health problem in the United States. It is a relatively recent epidemic, with obesity rates doubling in some states over the past 20 years. Because of this, policymakers are scrambling to introduce public education initiatives, improve school lunches, and enact laws that would regulate the food and beverage industry. One product which seems to find itself continually at the center of this is soda. From former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on oversized soft drinks to state and citywide taxes on soda, the sugary-carbonated beverage which is dear to so many Americans has become a popular target for laws and regulations aimed at reducing its consumption. While many citizens have been against the laws claiming they create a “nanny state”, proposed laws, taxes, and regulations which threaten to reduce the soda consumption have seen no greater opponent than the American Beverage Association.
The American Beverage Association, or ABA, is an industry trade group that represents America’s non-alcoholic beverage industry. Founded in 1919 as the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages and renamed the National Soft Drink Association in 1966, the organization has been a longstanding fixture in Washington. In 2005, when they finally changed their name to the ABA, it was to better reflect the increasingly diverse non-alcoholic beverages which were coming to market. Though the ABA represents hundreds of brands of non-alcoholic beverage makers, the organization’s three biggest supporting companies by far are: The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc., and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Presidents and CEOs from these three corporations make up almost half of the organization’s current board members, with the remaining positions being held by executives from the likes of Nestlé Waters, Polar Beverages, Sunny Delight, Honest Tea, and Red Bull.
A few of the ABA’s top positions, including three out of the six officers, are held by people without ties to any specific beverage corporation. The organization’s president and chief executive officer, Susan Neely, is one of these. Appointed in 2005, Neely had previously worked in the
| A few of the companies which make up the ABA. |
