Crony science is on full display in the new partnership between the giant beverage company and a nonprofit looking to exonerate junk food in the obesity debate.
The New York Times reports that Coca-Cola is pouring millions of dollars into a nonprofit organization that is trying to promote a peculiar solution to the obesity crisis. The message of the newly formed Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN) is simple: Americans are too focused on how much they eat and are neglecting proper exercise.
GEBN released a short video introducing the organization and its principles. The opening words from vice president Steven Blair are remarkable: “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. And there’s really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause.”
“No compelling evidence”? Really? Except if one happens to look here. Or here. Or here. And here. Our own articles have discussed the calamitous health consequences of sugary sodas and high fructose corn syrup here and here.
The Times reports that Coca-Cola donated $1.5 million to start the organization, in addition to backing two of the organization’s founding members with almost $4 million since 2008. The organization’s website is registered to Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. It wasn’t until GEBN was asked about its funding that it listed Coca-Cola as a sponsor on its website.
Its executive committee is comprised of people who are consultants with or have received grants from McCain Foods, McDonald’s, dairy lobbies, the American Beverage Association, Nestlé, Novo Nordisk, the Beef Council, Jenny Craig, Danone (Dannon), Kraft, numerous pharmaceutical companies, and of course Coca-Cola.
This is just another example of something we see all to frequently today: “science” backed by Big Food or Big Biotech that has less to do with proper nutrition or maintaining public health than with fattening their industrial coffers. We’ve seen this type of behavior repeatedly with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, most recently when they teamed up with Kraft to promote children’s health.
Of course other companies, including Big Pharma, play the same game. It is all part of today’s crony capitalism, in which special interests are subverting all of our institutions, including government—not to mention creating a revolving-door policy for officials to go from government positions to powerful industry jobs and back again. Standards of truth are disintegrating in a spreading tide of deception and corruption.
This most recent effort by Coca-Cola to hoodwink the public into thinking its sugary drinks have nothing to do with obesity is a reminder that we must always be cautious about taking “experts” at their word, and that we must always be looking for who is holding the purse strings.
Caveat emptor—buyer beware!
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All of these junk-food companies also utilize the P.R. front/lobbying-group “Grocery Manufacturers Association” which brings together all of them under one umbrella corp that defends them and fights tooth and nail against things such as GMO labeling (Your Rights). Also responsible for funding such “legislation” like H.R.1599 which is unconstitutional/undemocratic and spreading misinformation (propaganda). The saddest thing is those who actually believe their sad, pathetic, empty lies. I just consider them apart of the problem that is to be solved with any means necessary.
Well, they do have a point. How many nanny-state food restrictions have you heard about? How many nanny-state exercise requirements?
Thing is, it’s NOT the sugar that’s killing us. It’s the high fuctose corn syrup. HFCS kills the liver, causes ASHD and obesity. It’s all gmo to boot. It’s hidden EVERYWHERE.
In candy cake yogurt cereal condiments, so even if you stop drinking soda of other soft drinks, as it’s in 85% of them, carbonated or not, you are still getting HFCS into your system. Kids can I’ll pay the most, dearly for this. I find it laughable that everyone blames soda for obesity, and try to tax it, when the true cause in ALL OUR FOOD. No one mentions that though.
People consuming large amts of HFCS are getting fatty liver disease.
Real raw sugar does NOT do this.
I do not condone eating huge amts of sugar, but if you have two cups of tea a day , use sugar. Not splenda, equal or corn syrup. They are ALL poison. All of them.
Raw turbinado or demera sugar, in a few, teaspoons, won’t hurt anyone. At all.
Screw the anti-nutrient sugar that requires nutrients to be digested. I’ll stick with my Raw Agave, thank you very much.
My choice is stevia — Not the modified Purevia or Truvia
it`s computers , smart phones ,and video games that are killing us ! this group is right , the average american gets nowhere near the exercise they were getting just ten years ago let alone what they got before the mid 80`s ! the fact that no one walks anywhere unless they have no choice , it`s just plain simple truth !
Oh yeah, it is just that everyone is sitting on their bums not the fact that the toxic frankenfood they are being forcefed by their corrupt system makes them fat, lazy, and unhealthy! Believe the industry spin so you keep drinking the poisoned koolaid!
I’ve been sitting at my PC all day every day for the last 15 years of my life. I weigh 100 pounds and never get sick. I eat nothing but organic food (and yes, I read all labels and am very strict about what’s in it), never drink, smoke, or do any drugs (including pharma).
Why do you even visit this site if you’re going to wallow in ignorance?
No, being sedentary isn’t healthy, but it’s nothing like what you somehow believe.
The Global Energy Balance Network will prove that ANH is anti-science!
Anti-industry bought and paid-for “swill science” that protects the industrial atrocity.
tomato/tomahto 😉
Dumb
PLEASE also do your research on MSG in our foods. Avoid them like the plague. Look for these ingredients and AVOID AT ALL COSTS:Hydolyzed -anything like ‘hydrolyzed protein, Soy Protein, Soy protein concentrate and soy protein isolate, Autolyzed yeast, yeast extract, monopotassium glutamate, sodium caseinate, or Calcium caseinate. The Health Institute says to AVOID THESE LIKE THE PLAGUE!! i
I have a full list of a majority of the ingredients in the food and their known effects, for those that may be interested.
email it to me at [email protected]
This is a bit of a long read, but, a realistic, viable solution for governmental abuse of power. If you can read it all then you can reasonably implement its solution!
The USA founding fathers knew that Power Corrupts and they warned of the dangers of centralizing power. They setup the best checks on government power they could at the time. Yet, wasn’t it supposed to keep government from wronging the people they’re supposed to serve? So, did it work? Is this government’s power held in check? Or does it continually wrong “We the People”? Has “abuse of power” and “wrong doing” by government gotten out of control? LOL!
Can you understand that most government atrocities throughout history would never have gotten off the ground had there been, at the time, a mechanism for the People to Check and Balance government through their Direct Participation in government?
The problem with governmental abuse of power is that it always serves its Own INTEREST or SPECIAL INTEREST to the detriment of the People’s and YOUR best interest. Governmental wrong doing will always be the inevitable result of unchecked power!
Abuse of power and wrong doing by government can and will be overturned and held in Check by the People when the political mechanism that puts them back into Direct Control of government is adopted.
The political mechanism that will put the control of government back into the hands of the People exists! There’s a political movement with said mechanism at its core. The core principle is that of true Checks and Balances on government power. – A “People’s Branch” of government will allow the People to exercise DIRECT oversight of government. The People will literally govern the government! Ultimately Checking and Balancing governmental power will bring those responsible for governmental power abuse and wrongs to justice!
The Actionable, Implementable Solution is HERE: www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org.
Who and what political movement reintroduced (After the Founding Fathers), into the public awareness, the concept of increasing Checks and Balances as a solution for controlling government wrong doing? They didn’t – We did! – www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org.
There is a way to make government Truly Transparent and Accountable/Directly Responsible to the People: www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org
The People/You do not have to let the government work against Them/You! A People’s Branch will see that abuse of power and authority is punished: www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org
Can You Think for Yourself? Think of what a People’s Branch could mean for You and/or Your Loved Ones’ Finances, Health, Rights, Freedoms, Security and Justice etc. Find out why a People’s Branch would be good for Everyone/You and Your Loved Ones! Find out why a People’s Branch will result in a better future for Your Children! You don’t have to take our word for it. A Reasonable, Responsible and Conscientious Person would find out if it truly had a chance to help them. They would talk to family and friends and find out how they feel about a People’s Branch and why?
Reasonable, Responsible, and Conscientious People need to know that they should act NOW before things get worse and their numbers fall too low…
Yet, realize that taking back control of government may not be easy. Always remember that the Reasonable, Responsible and Conscientious People are opposed in this epic struggle for Direct Participation in their government by SPECIAL INTEREST and those that serve them. – Namely their henchman – the GATEKEEPERS.
Amazingly, these GATEKEEPERS are most often our own – leaders, organizations, political parties, politicians, elected officials, bureaucrats, public servants, print and broadcast news organizations, the media, radio/TV talk show hosts, authors, advocates, pundits, alliances, federations, websites and so called political action sites etc., etc.
They’re constantly among us – even out front. Don’t You get it? – To do their job for their masters, SPECIAL INTEREST, they must have positions as GATEKEEPERS. SPECIAL INTEREST knows that keeping the People as a whole under control requires a system of GATEKEEPERS. Whether or not the GATEKEEPERS are unwitting dupes or dumbed down or just compartmentalized cronies, most end up serving SPECIAL INTEREST over those they are supposed to serve – Your and the People’s best interest!
Checks and Balances!
Who and what political movement reintroduced, into the public awareness, the concept of increasing Checks and Balances as a solution for controlling government wrong doing? They didn’t – We did! – www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org.
Many GATEKEEPERS use the words Checks and Balances every day. Yet, why don’t they want You to know about the ultimate mechanism for implementing them. www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org.
You may wonder if they even know about us. Yes, they know about us but refuse to acknowledge our efforts. They have even started to manipulate our words and blocking our message that the Ultimate Checks and Balances on government can and will come from the People’s Direct Participation in government. They don’t want this political movement challenging their power. Why do you think GATEKEEPERS give every political genre of any political persuasion a venue and forum? Yet, most GATEKEEPERS will never openly take up discussing the remote possibility of a People’s Branch of government? WHY?
Isn’t it because they know that anything other than the People Participating Directly in government offers little or no real resistance to the corruption of the power structure? They realize that the People Participating Directly in government, a People’s Branch, changes everything! They know that, with a People’s Branch, the People will no longer allow government to serve SPECIAL INTEREST over Their/Your/the People’s best interest!
Yet, the system is designed to allow the People a reactive mode only. The People are only offered pretend paths for changing government’s wrong doings (i.e. voting to elect officeholders, organizing, campaigning (for so-called good people), running for office (by so-called good people), public protests, marches, demonstrations, rallies, sit-ins, calling and/or writing your elected officials etc.) At best the pretend methods only slow government wrong doing temporarily. GATEKEEPERS are paid to direct the People/You into these pretend paths which will only burn out good and well-meaning People by burning up and wasting their time, energy, money and/or resources with little or no positive and/or lasting results. They’re paid by their masters, the real power behind government i.e. SPECIAL INTEREST, to keep the People/You from waking up to these truths…
If the People/You don’t wake up then they will continue by default to control the closed system. They know that they win and You lose as long as they can direct You into the pretend paths that are designed to keep out any DIRECT Checks and Balances from the outside – We the People! Think about it! Why should it have taken women sixty years to get the right to vote? Why should it have taken so many years for blacks to get the right to vote?
Isn’t it obvious, GATEKEEPERS push their pretend methods for improving and/or stopping government wrong doing because their pretend methods are designed to fail You and keep SPECIAL INTEREST in control? It’s the job of GATEKEEPERS to push their pretend methods because they are proven to keep the power in the hands of SPECIAL INTEREST. Yet, while the People are directed down their pretend paths to change and improvement, SPECIAL INTEREST continues their own direct access and participation with Your elected officials for the purpose of seeing to it that THEIR best interest gets served!
Don’t you realize that if a People’s Branch of government had existed in the past then the People would have made sure that most of the bad things of those times would’ve been avoided? Yet, it’s still not too late. We must now focus on the present and prepare for the future. Remember, if you want things to be better for Yourself and Your Loved Ones, now and in the future, then You’ll join us. Together we’ll Check and Balance government and make sure that government serves OUR/YOUR/the People’s best interest!
In the meantime most GATEKEEPERS will continue to push their PSYOP of getting You to believe that their pretend methods are new and they’ll work for You this time? It’s a sophisticated PSYOP. We know their PSYOP has worked in the past – maybe even on You. Many have fallen for it. Many still believe that these same old approaches will work for them. Yet, their pretend methods for improvement are not new and they’ll never work to insure that government serves OUR/YOUR/the People’s best interest.
REMEMBER, most GATEKEEPERS aren’t willing to help you see the best and only long term solution. i.e. The Best Long Term Solution is to cut through the political red tape and defeat the political trap masters at their own game! Isn’t it obvious why they act so much like Controlled Opposition? They are Controlled Opposition! If you study what many of these people actually say and how they say it, instead of only agreeing with what you think they are saying, then you too may see how controlled opposition really works. Yes they talk a good game. But they continue to direct your attention away from the obvious solution – YOU! You are the real solution! Once you make up your mind to have a Direct Participation in government on the things that affect You and Your loved ones then You’ll join us!
Remember, most GATEKEEPERS continuously choose to serve their followers with only talk and do nothing of consequence for them. Most GATEKEEPERS mission is to program you to also only talk and do nothing of consequence for yourself! Talk is cheap. Their rhetoric is ultimately Controlled Opposition simply because they never engage a viable long term solution. Yet, we do and we have! Here: www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org
So, the question is – WILL IT WORK ON YOU NOW? Now that You can see their game and You see a real viable solution for Yourself and Your loved ones – a People’s Branch! Only YOUR Direct Participation in government can insure that YOUR best interest is served! Can’t you see this?
It is paramount that You Participate Directly in government where You can pass or fail Your elected officials vote on matters that affect You.
Isn’t it foolish to let others, especially GATEKEEPERS – politicians, elected officials, public servants, bureaucrats and media mouthpieces, etc., continuously undermine Your best interest? Wouldn’t it be prudent to have a Direct say in the things that affect You and Your Loved Ones? Many Reasonable, Responsible and Conscientious people are now coming to realize that they need a mechanism whereby they can Participate Directly in government in order to help safeguard their own best interest!
What could this mechanism be?
The answer is a People’s Branch of government!
The process to get a People’s Branch of government starts with the petition!
Why a Petition? Because it’s time tested and a Constitution guaranteed method whereby People/Citizens can take action and change the governing and political process! People are now beginning to see how the Petition can be used to help protect their rights and freedoms. (Therefore, none should forget or forgive any GATEKEEPERS that make fun of or demonize the Petition and its power and strength for good in the hands of good people!)
We advocate only patronizing the good GATEKEEPERS. i.e. ONLY The ones that are working to help You Safeguard You and Your Loved Ones own best interest. Only they are truly worthy of Your attention, admiration, alliance, loyalty, and support! To find out if the ones You follow are truly worthy simply ask them – if they are interested in promoting the best way (Citizens Participating Directly in government as an incorruptible Checks and Balances!) for everyone to help safeguard their own best interest!
The GATEKEEPERS that genuinely care about the People’s/Your rights and freedoms will show that they have faith in the People’s judgment as a whole! Many GATEKEEPERS demean the People for trying to exercise their best judgment when they’re forced into having to choose between two evils! i.e. They demean the public and say it’s the public’s fault for electing a corrupt politician! Is that really fair? No, it’s never really the People’s fault when some slick politician fools their constituents and gets elected – then double-crosses them! Wouldn’t the answer be to institute a foolproof mechanism to Check and Balance the double-crossers? A People’s Branch of government!
The GATEKEEPERS that genuinely care about their follower’s best interest will have no problem in helping to get the word out about this powerful solution i.e. our Petition for a People’s Branch of government! With our petition we create a way to set-up a mechanism for corruption-proof Checks and Balances on government. If you’re not hearing about this movement from the GATEKEEPER you’re following then you’ll know they’re probably a Controlled Opposition GATEKEEPER SHILL.
An ACTIONABLE Long Term SOLUTION exists HERE: www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org
People are coming to understand that not unlike the original need for a Constitution and Bill of Rights, the true strength of a People’s Branch of government is that it will help them protect themselves from the tyranny of government and SPECIAL INTEREST. They are coming to realize that their own best interest and the best interest of the vast majority of the people are one and the same.
Divide and conquer has long been used by SPECIAL INTEREST to fool the People into believing it’s only their peers – others like themselves that are their real enemy. They don’t want YOU to know it’s really them, SPECIAL INTEREST, that’s YOUR real problem – literally. They do this simply by keeping the People’s/Your attention focused on what they say is the problem and THEIR solution.
Ever heard of Problem, Reaction, Solution? Don’t you get it? Look at what others say – in the many forums (here and/or elsewhere)… Can’t you see it? Most have their attention subverted! Look at what they’re focusing on! Some, many or all may simply be some form of Troll or dis-information pusher. Even if some are well-meaning they mostly affect You into diverting Your attention away from the systems control methods. Many do these things in hopes of stopping the People/You from seeing the Real Actionable Solution of a People’s Branch!
Yet, people are coming to realize that SPECIAL INTEREST and their GATEKEEPERS are benefiting from Their Own Form of Direct Participation (i.e. influence/manipulation) in government at the expense and detriment of the People’s/Your Own Best Interest. Therefore, until the People/You wake up and adopt this, People’s Branch of government, mechanism for Direct Participation in government, then the People’s/Your own best interest will only continue to suffer.
It is exactly because SPECIAL INTEREST will always continue to trample the People’s/Your best interest that from time to time Reasonable, Responsible and Conscientious people have to resort to revolution – violent or otherwise!
ABOVE EVERYTHING THE PROPAGANDISTS THROW AT YOU – REMEMBER THIS: A People’s Branch of government can and will Stop/Reform/Amend/Reverse and Heal the power structure and justice system. A People’s Branch will see that those responsible for governmental wrongs are justly punished!
Wake up or die asleep it’s up to you! Many ills of every kind, Autism, Cancers, Diabetes etc., etc., are now rampant and on the rise. How could these have gotten to this point without the governments complicity? Behind the People’s/Your back, without their/your awareness and/or consent, the government (local, state and national) is allowing the People/You and Your Loved Ones to be harmed/poisoned in multifaceted ways. Can you say TPP, GMO, Vaccines, Fluoride etc., etc. Reasonable, Responsible and Conscientious People are choosing to wake up! You too can Wake-Up to the only non-violent way to take your government away from SPECIAL INTEREST.
Only when citizens have a direct participation in their government concerning matters that affect them will their and their loved ones’ issues (Freedoms, Rights, Security, Financial, Health, Political and Justice etc.) have a true chance to be properly addressed!
Every Reasonable, Responsible and Conscientious person should be asking themselves WHY DO LEADERS OF BOTH MAJOR PARTIES HATE THE IDEA OF A PEOPLES BRANCH?
Those that truly seek fair and equitable solutions can find them at The People’s Branch. Implementing a People’s Branch in your local area is the key you have been waiting for….
Ultimately a People’s Branch of government will hold accountable those behind government’s multifaceted injustices and wrong doings – namely, the governmental authorities doing SPECIAL INTEREST bidding!
Remember, persons (governmental etc.,) acting against the best interest of the People should be forewarned that, at a future date, their actions may be deemed unlawful and therefore punishable. They should be aware that their actions or lack thereof that result in the creation of wrongs, such as so called “trade agreements,” that ultimately harm the People’s best interest may at some point be adjudicated to be harmful and therefore unlawful. Further, it would be wise of the wrong doers to realize that they, the perpetrators of wrongs, may be held responsible and accountable for those wrongs as easily as a simple declaration or adjudication! Said wrongs may have dire consequences for those found to have helped implement or aided their authorization, through their actions or lack thereof. Such individuals may be found guilty of sedition and/or treason and tried for treason to the United States of America. Any and all elected officials and officeholders would do well to remember that there’s no statutes of limitation for the crime of treason!
Many wrongs, perpetrated upon the People, such as “Fast Tracking, NAFTA, TPP, Shielding GMOs and/or their harm from discovery, etc., etc.,” may yet result in charges and convictions of treason for those responsible and accountable either directly and/or indirectly for their implementation. Charges and convictions for treason of government officials may be possible if it’s found that they failed to represent the best interest of the People and their actions subsequently turn out to undermine national security. It should be understood that any governmental officials, especially current or ex-presidents and current or ex-congressional officeholders, may be open to charges of treason should their actions and/or lack of actions be deemed to have undermined national security. i.e. if they failed to guard, protect, and improve/promote national security through any number of means – ECONOMICAL, HEALTH, DEFENCE, STOP CORRUPTION, CHECKS & BALANCES etc. Everyone would do well to remember that the final judgment rendered by the People concerning many governmental wrongs has yet to be written!
ANNOUNCEMENT: OPEN CHALLENGE TO ANY AND ALL GATEKEEPERS – WE CHALLENGE YOU TO DEBATE THE MERITS OF A PEOPLE’S BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT WITH US – THE MEMBER(S) OF THIS POLITICAL MOVEMENT – THE PEOPLE’S BRANCH. (YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND US – www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org)….
Did you hear that? GATEKEEPERS – What’s your response? Why do GATEKEEPERS always refuse open debate with this political movement? Why would any GATEKEEPER have a problem bringing this political movement to their followers and the masses? What part of the people’s ability to participate directly in their government thereby creating an incorruptible Checks and Balances upon governmental wrongs – atrocities and corruption – DON’T YOU GET?…
GATEKEEPERS can’t name one issue or one problem that a People’s Branch would make worse! Yet, we can name any number of issues and problems that a People’s Branch will make better, improve and/or solve for WE THE PEOPLE!
Why not advocate for a People’s Branch of government and let all the GATEKEEPERS you follow know that you want them to openly debate the merits of a People’s Branch to Check and Balance government?
Again – A People’s Branch creates the best way to Check and Balance government! If SPECIAL INTEREST continues to get their way then You and Your Loved Ones may lose everything! Why not help us help you?!
Additionally, We Understand that, for whatever reason, not smart enough, not wise enough, not courageous enough, dumbed-down, brainwashed, compartmentalized, lack of interest, unpatriotic, etc., etc., there will be many that will not see or understand why a People’s Branch is NOW Needed. And that there will be many that will not be interested in participating in a People’s Branch of government. Nevertheless, it’s Paramount that You, the Reasonable, Responsible, and Conscientious Participate Directly in government on matters that concern You and Your Loved Ones!
Finally, if You are Smart enough or Wise enough or Courageousness enough to See that this Political Movement is Needed and is Right for You, Your Loved Ones and Your Country then You Need to Help by Starting a People’s Branch Movement in Your Local Area, State and Nationally. If You have the Will and Fortitude to Help US Make a People’s Branch a Reality for You, Your Loved Ones and the Nation then Look to The People’s Branch website at www(dot)ThePeoplesBranch(dot)org to provide information to get started….
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So why is membership currently closed if this is an ongoing movement? Answer that. The Peoples Branch!