You know how the old saying goes, if you can't beat them, pay an organisation to defend your corner without publicly acknowledging your allegiances.
It looks like Coca Cola has been funding the Clobal Energy Balance Network(GEBN), a new non-profit organisation which promotes exercise as the key to a healthy lifestyle, and places a good diet on the backseat.
The New York Times uncovered records which show that GEBN's website is registered to the soft drink company, as well as being administrated by them.
GEBN President, James O. Hill, claimed that the organisation is independent from Coca Cola, and that the the site is only registered under the company's name its members didn't know how to do it. Because it would have been so tough to ask someone else, of course.
The Times also reported that two universities which employ GEBN members claimed that the company donated $1.5 million to the organisation last year. To add to this, nearly $4 million has been donated to some GNEB founding members for a number of projects since 2008.
It all might seem a little underhanded, but this kind of stuff has been happening for decades. Corporations often pay for studies to be carried out scientists or research groups to pad stats or make their product seem more appealing. Cigarette companies have done it for years, but regardless of the results, we still know they're dangerous.
A few weeks ago we had an article on the effects a can of Coke can have on your body within an hour of you consuming it, and the results are a bit frightening. Does that mean we can never drink Coke? Of course not, just maybe limit it to a few glasses here and there, instead of allowing it to replace your entire daily water intake.
And as strange as it might seem for Coke to be funding GNEB, and while we don't agree with all of it's claims, the organisation is right about one thing. Exercise is a must, because a healthy diet is great, but without exercise you're putting in all of the groundwork without reaping the final rewards. And if you do put in the effort working out, you can afford to have a few sugary drinks or a takeout now and again without it being the end of the world.
Via The Independent