Coke funding research to downplay colas' role in US' obesity epidemic

While, most nutritionists and health experts advise intake of fewer calories, especially "empty" calories from things like sugary beverages to beat the bulge, a number of reputable researchers argue that the US'  sedentary lifestyle was more to blame for its obesity epidemic than, US' skyrocketing rate of sugar consumption.

According to  The New York Times reporter Anahad O'Connor, many of those researchers received significant financial backing from Coca-Cola Inc. O'Connor focused largely on a new non-profit, Global Energy Balance Network, to which Coke had donated at least $1.5 million in startup money last year. The non-profit promoted the idea that fast food and sugary drinks were being unfairly targeted in public health campaigns.

Despite the millions in funding, Coke had provided the new non-profit and its two founding members since 2008, and the fact that the website of the group was linked to Coca-Cola, Coke was "not running the show,"  Global Energy Balance Network president James O Hill, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, told The New York Times.