Coca-Cola funds scientific body who says lack of exercise — not bad eating — is to blame for obesity crisis

SOFT drink has been blamed for our worldwide obesity epidemic, but now Coke is coaxing scientists to say it’s not responsible. Should we trust its claims?

COCA-COLA has hit back at reports it has given millions of dollars to a scientific group which argues that the obesity debate focuses too much on what people eat and drink, rather than their lack of exercise.

In a piece entitled ‘Coca-Cola Funds Scientists Who Shift Blame for Obesity Away From Bad Diets’, The New York Times reports Coke has provided financial and logistical support to the non-profit called the Global Energy Balance Network.

It donated $US1.5 million to establish the organisation last year and has provided almost $4 million in funding to two of the organisation’s founding members — Dr Steve Blair from the University of South Carolina and Gregory A Hand, dean of the West Virginia University School of Public Health.

“The media tends to blame the obesity epidemic on our poor eating habits — but are those french fries really the culprit?” reads the description of a video announcing the new organisation.

In the video Dr Blair argues it’s a lack of exercise, not bad eating, that is to blame for America’s obesity crisis.

“Most of the focus in the popular media and in the scientific press is that they’re eating too much, eating too much, eating too much, blaming fast food, blaming sugary drinks and so on,” he says.

“And there’s really virtually no compelling evidence that that in fact is the cause.

He continues: “It’s very clear that around the world the populations are getting fatter. But maybe the reason they’re eating more calories than they need is because they’re not burning many.”

These claims come a week after British pharmacist Niraj Naik frightened soft drink lovers around the world with his infographics explaining what happens to the body one hour after drinking a can of Coke or Diet Coke.

Australians are drinking less and less soft drink and it’s starting to hurt Coca Cola Amatil’s profits. According to a Morgan Stanley survey of 1500 consumers conducted in May, 48 per cent of respondents do not consume or have cut back on soft drinks over the last 12 months, compared with 45 per cent in 2013, Fairfax reported last month.

CCA’s underlying net profit fell for the second consecutive year in February, dropping 25.3 per cent to $375.5 million in the 12 months ending December, Fairfax reported at the time.

“Coca-Cola’s sales are slipping, and there’s this huge political and public backlash against soda, with every major city trying to do something to curb consumption,” US public health lawyer Michele Simon told The New York Times.

British pharmacist Niraj Naik’s infographic explaining what happens to your body when you drink a can of Coke.

“This is a direct response to the ways that the company is losing. They’re desperate to stop the bleeding.”

But Coca Cola told news.com.au the NY Times story was an “inaccurate portrayal” of its relationship with the Global Energy Balance Network.

“Coca-Cola has a long history of supporting evidence-based scientific research,” a spokeswoman said.

“We fully recognise moderation and diet play a pivotal role in managing health and weight in combination with physical activity.

“We continue to take steps to help people manage their kilojoules. This includes offering smaller pack sizes in more outlets, front-of-pack kilojoule labelling and low and no kilojoule options.”

The chief technical officer of the Coca-Cola Company, Dr Ed Hays, said Coke’s relationship with GEBN isn’t shady.

“We are proud to support the work that scientists such as Dr Jim Hill and Dr Steve Blair do — because their type of research is critical to finding solutions to the global obesity crisis,” he said in a statement on Coke’s US website.

“At Coke, we believe that a balanced diet and regular exercise are two key ingredients for a healthy lifestyle and that is reflected in both our long-term and short-term business actions.

“Our business strategy is for more people to enjoy our products more often, but with exactly the size, calories and content that fit their lifestyles. We have called on our people to innovate on more natural products, to create low-and-no calorie options — and to simply make our packages smaller,” he said.

Coca Cola launched Coke Life in April this year — it contains natural sweetener stevia and 35 per cent less sugar than regular Coke.

The Dietitians Association of Australia says Australians should reduce their consumption of sugary drinks such as Coke.

“We should limit the amount of foods that have limited nutritional value, like Coke and Vitamin Water,” spokeswoman Julie Gilbert said. “We don’t put enough fruit and vegetables into our diets.”

But she stressed there was not one food group which could be held responsible for the obesity problem.

“We eat too much and we don’t exercise enough. We are consuming too much energy for what we’re burning off,” she said.

On its website, the Global Energy Balance Network says its immediate priorities are to raise awareness of the “science of energy balance”, gain financial backing and convene a summit in 2016 to talk about “evidence-based solutions that leverage the science of energy balance.”