Coca-Cola is fighting back against the onslaught of criticism that blames America's love of sugary drinks and their extra calories for the rise in obesity and Type 2 diabetes. To keep slim, says Cola-Cola, don't worry about calories, simply exercise more.

According to the New York Times, in order to get the word out, Coke has enlisted the help of influential scientists who are spreading the word through medical journals, social medial, and at medical conferences. Coke is also providing the financial backing for Global Energy Balance Network, a new nonprofit organization whose message is that Americans are too concerned about how much they eat and drink, and don't exercise enough.

In a video, Steven N. Blair, vice president of Global Energy Balance Network said, "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."
Blair continued saying, "There’s really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause."

Some health care workers say they believe Coke's new campaign has two goals: to draw attention from experts who blame sugary drinks for contributing to the epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, and to boost sales, which have fallen by about 25 percent during the past 20 years. Sales threaten to drop even further as officials consider raising taxes on sugary drinks, and schools consider removing soft drink machines from schools.

James O. Hill, president of Global Energy Balance Network and a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said that although the website was registered by Coke because the network's members did not know how, the scientists — not Coke — are in control of the organization.

But other officials aren't convinced. "Coca-Cola's sales are slipping, and there's this huge political and public backlash against soda, with every major city trying to do something to curb consumption," Michele Simon, a public health lawyer, told the New York Times. "This is a direct response to the ways that the company is losing. They’re desperate to stop the bleeding."