Hates Coca Cola, Ronaldo Gives Proof That He Is Consistently Living A Healthy Lifestyle

Cristiano Ronaldo (Instagram @cristiano)

JAKARTA - There has always been a slight disconnect between the highly competitive and health-conscious world of sport and brands that frequently sponsor events. Typical American sporting events will be sponsored by fast-food chains, beer, and soft drink companies. In Indonesia, of course, cigarette companies.

In some cases, brands will position themselves as complementary to a healthy lifestyle. Like when Michael Jordan was the spokesperson for McDonald's or when LeBron James supported Coca-Cola.

Athletes and a brand are free to make whatever business deals they like. The problem is that this partnership uses superstars who are health role models to promote unhealthy lifestyles.

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest athletes on the planet, faced pressure to promote unhealthy products on Monday when he mocked two Coca-Cola bottles placed in front of him at a press conference ahead of Portugal's Euro 2020 match between Portugal and Hungary.

The Juventus star removed two soda bottles from the camera's view and took a bottle of water saying, "Drink water, not Coca-Cola". As one of the championship's biggest stars, demeaning sponsors must have angered UEFA officials.

Do NOT put Coca Cola in front of Cristiano Ronaldo 😠

This is absolutely brilliant 🤣 pic.twitter.com/bw9FYlTOI4

— Goal (@goal) June 15, 2021

The decision immediately affected Coca-Cola.

Shares of the coke maker fell 1.6 percent in price after Ronaldo's comments, costing the company USD 4 billion. However, the stock price rose again at the end of the day.

Coca-Cola responded to initial comments by saying "everyone is entitled to their drink preferences" and that everyone has different "tastes and needs".

It's a bit outdated to see a Coca-Cola bottle placed in front of the world's greatest athlete. Drinks like Coca-Cola have unusually high amounts of high-fructose corn syrup and are linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

In one study on children, each daily serving of sugary drinks was associated with a 60 percent increased risk of obesity.

Ronaldo had been a Coca-Cola ad star, 15 years ago when he was still in a Manchester United costume. However, he is now a supporter of healthy living, evidenced by the fact that he is still at the top of his game at 36 years old. He is known to have an intense health program and a very toned physique.

Ronaldo is known to eat six small meals a day to keep his metabolism going while avoiding feeling hungry or feeling lethargic. He trains five days a week for three to four hours a day.

Cristiano Ronaldo:

Has 3% less body fat than a supermodel

Thigh circumference of 61.7cm

Can run 25m in 3.61 seconds

Jumps 78cm, higher than an average NBA player

The force he uses to push off is almost 5g – similar to what an astronaut experiences during take-off.

👽 pic.twitter.com/TI4xvBJfmP

— CRSEVN.7 (@cristianomotive) October 8, 2019

He spoke publicly about how he was frustrated when his son drank sugary drinks.

"Sometimes I'm hard on him because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I'm annoyed with him", Ronaldo said according to The Mirror.

Ronaldo's refusal to promote Coca-Cola was backed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, 43-year-old Tom Brady, an athlete also known for prolonging his career through an intense health regimen.

It’s almost like the veterans know what they’re doing.... @Cristiano @TB12sports https://t.co/pJ0y1BtCRt

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) June 14, 2021

Caroline Cerny, Alliance Leader at Obesity Health Alliance, perfectly sums up Ronaldo's bold move. "It's great to see role models like Cristiano Ronaldo turn down Coca-Cola in favor of water, set a positive example for young fans and show his disapproval of the cynical marketing efforts that associate it with sugary drinks", she said.