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Coca-Cola Funds Scientists Who Shift Blame for Obesity Away From Bad Diets
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of New York Times


New York Times, August 9, 2015
Posted: August 16th, 2015
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/coca-cola-funds-sci...

Coca-Cola, the worlds largest producer of sugary beverages, is backing a new science-based solution to the obesity crisis: To maintain a healthy weight, get more exercise and worry less about cutting calories. Health experts say this message is misleading and part of an effort by Coke to deflect criticism about the role sugary drinks have played in the spread of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, [and] convince the public that physical activity can offset a bad diet despite evidence that exercise has only minimal impact on weight compared with what people consume. Coca-Colas sales are slipping, and theres this huge political and public backlash against soda, with every major city trying to do something to curb consumption, said Michele Simon, a public health lawyer. This is a direct response. Cokes [campaign] is not the only example of corporate-funded research and advocacy to come under fire lately. The American Society for Nutrition and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have been criticized by public health advocates for forming partnerships with companies such as Kraft Foods, McDonalds, PepsiCo and Hersheys. Dietitians have also faced criticism for taking payments from Coke to present the companys soda as a healthy snack. A recent analysis of beverage studies ... found that those funded by Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, the American Beverage Association and the sugar industry were five times more likely to find no link between sugary drinks and weight gain than studies whose authors reported no financial conflicts.

Note: For more along these lines, see concise summaries of deeply revealing news articles about the corruption of science and the manipulation of public perception.


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