The majority of nutritionists and health experts usually stress the need to eat less in order to reduce calories and fat to combat weight gain and obesity, with regular exercise being a secondary method. This is especially true for "empty calories" such as in sugary soft drinks. However, a recent newspaper article reveals that many researchers who blame the United States' sedentary lifestyle instead of unhealthy diets receive major financial support from Coca-Cola.
The report was made by Anahad O'Connor in The New York Times. He mostly focused on Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN), a new non-profit organization.
Last year it received $1.5 million or more in start-up funds from Coca-Cola. Interestingly, it argues that public health campaigns are wrongly targeting the sugary drink and fast food industries.
GEBN's website is also registered under the Coke company. However, its president claims that it is not a puppet of the global brand.
It is common for food companies to fund scientific studies. However, a PLOS Medicine study in 2013 revealed that studies bankrolled by Coke and Pepsi were five times more probable to not link sugary beverages to weight gain, according to The Week.
The soda giant teams up with well-known scientists to promote its message through various media. They include medical journals, social networks, and health conferences.
Michele Simon is a public health lawyer. She told The Times that Coca-Cola's sales are decreasing, while every major U.S. city has a campaign to reduce soda consumption. Thus, the company is taking drastic measures to "stop the bleeding."
A 12-ounce can of Coke contains 39 grams of sugar (9 teaspoons). Health experts warn that sugary drinks can result in various conditions and diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to Financial Review.
In addition, a can of coke has about 90 "empty" calories with no nutritional value. While Coke-funded research supports exercise over diet, 10 minutes of jogging is required to burn the calories.
Nutritionists typically link 70 to 80 percent of weight loss or gain to diet. Physical exercise is important, but it is very difficult to work off a high-calorie and high-fat diet consumed from unhealthy foods.