Diets Do Work!
The times, they are changing and fast!
Coca-Cola must be scrambling right now, check this out…
An article in the New York Times has caused an awesome little back and forth between Coca-Cola and the media.
If you haven’t read, Coca-Cola Funds Scientists Who Shift Blame for Obesity Away from Bad Diets, here’s a snippet:
“Most of the focus in the popular media and in the scientific press is, ‘Oh they’re eating too much, eating too much, eating too much’ — blaming fast food, blaming sugary drinks and so on,” the group’s vice president, Steven N. Blair, an exercise scientist, says in a recent video announcing the new organization. “And there’s really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause.”
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. They contend that the company is using the new group to 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.
Got that?
It’s so crazy that we won’t even comment on Blair’s quote above for fear it was taken out of context.
I mean, it must have been.
What set the Internet on fire was the revelation made in the New York Times article that Coca-Cola is funding the organization making these claims:
The beverage giant has teamed up with influential scientists who are advancing this message in medical journals, at conferences and through social media. To help the scientists get the word out, Coke has provided financial and logistical support to a new nonprofit organization called the Global Energy Balance Network, which promotes the argument that weight-conscious Americans are overly fixated on how much they eat and drink while not paying enough attention to exercise.
Two days ago Coca-Cola responded in USA Today with an article titled, Coca-Cola: We Stand for Quality, Integrity:
A recent New York Times article created confusion about our support of research and non-profit organizations, stating we want people to think that only exercise matters and not diet — but nothing could be further from the truth. We have always operated under the fact that a healthy, balanced diet and regular exercise are key ingredients for a healthy lifestyle.
Why are we sharing this?
Because there are major changes happening with our global consciousness around food, and there will be more and more battles like this in the media for us to watch.
And how can we be so sure of this?
Because the Global Energy Balance Network has this paragraph at the end of their Getting the Word Out release:
We’ll be reaching out to media and maybe offer a workshop on, ‘How do you understand? How do you interpret scientific research in the energy balance area?’ Help them learn how to become more knowledgeable about the topic…I think we’ll continue to do that. But it’s the balance of intake and expenditure that prevents obesity, helps control obesity. We need to learn more about it, but with the Network we’re going to get the information out.
Good times for good whole food fun!!
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