- The Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN), founded in 2014, claimed to be a group of researchers studying causes of obesity
- Researchers now say it was ‘front group’ for Coca-Cola to promote that a lack of exercise, not a bad diet or sugar, is driving the US obesity epidemic
- An analysis of emails showed that GEBN tried to downplay that Coca-Cola was a donor and how much it donated
- The beverage company also supported a close team of academics that was dubbed the ’email family’
Coca-Cola’s work with scientists to downplay the role sugar plays in contributing to obesity has been called a ‘low point in this history of public health.’
The beverage company donated millions of dollars to a team of researchers at a non-profit claiming to look into causes of excess weight gain in the US.
However, the team ended up being a ‘front group’ for Coca-Cola and promoted the idea that it was a lack of exercise, not a bad diet, that was the primary driver of the US obesity epidemic.
What’s more, the group tried to downplay the fact that Coca-Cola was a donor of its research, and how much money the company gifted.
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