Coca-Cola, Soft-Drink Companies' Advertising to U.S. Children, Teens on the Rise: Study

"Who are the most vulnerable among population? Kids, and certain demographics," Brownell told the International Business Times in a phone interview Monday. "They're getting more advertising than general population. I know the industry isn't setting out to make kids obese, but if they were they'd be doing a pretty good job."

Follow us

Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple Group were the two main culprits responsible for the increase. According to the study, Coca-Cola upped advertising for a number of products, including Coca-Cola Classic (39 percent), Minute Maid fruit drinks (99 percent) and Powerade (89 percent). Dr Pepper Snapple Group did the same - Dr Pepper soda went up 36 percent, and 7 Up increased 62 percent.

At the same time, PepsiCo -- Coca-Cola's main competitor -- decreased television advertising by 22 percent.

"We think it needs to go down for everybody," Brownell said. "And not just a little, but way down."

Coca-Cola disputed the findings of the study, noting that the company markets no product to children under the age of 12, company spokeswoman Diana Garza Ciarlante told the IBTimes in a statement.

"This means that we do not buy advertising directly targeted at audiences that are made up of more than 35 percent children under 12," Ciarlante said. "This policy applies to all of our beverage brands and to a wide range of media outlets including television, radio and print, as well as cinema, the Internet, product placement and mobile phones."

Ciarlante also pointed to a contradictory study published in August 2011 by the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The study found that between 2003 and 2009, the largest decreases in advertising targeted at children were in beverages. And when considering all beverages, soft drinks saw the most decline in advertising.

"Clearly, our Company and our industry are committed to responsible advertising and the numbers prove it," Ciarlante said.

Kraft Foods, another company targeted in the study released Monday with products like Capri Sun and Kool-Aid, said in response that it was the first company to alter its advertising to children under the age of 12. For example, it stopped advertising Oreo cookies and regular Kool-Aid. According to the study, Kraft's total advertising was up 3 percent from 2008-10.

Kraft spokesman Richard Buino said in a statement that the company refuses to advertise any products to children under 6, and only products that meet specific nutrition requirements for ages 6 to 11.