A backlash has come from Coca-Cola against reports that said the soda-maker has invested millions of dollars into a scientific group which says that obesity is often blamed to what people eat and drink, rather than lack of exercise.

The New York Times reports have claimed that Coca-Cola has provided financial and logistical support to the Global Energy Balance Network, a non-profit that emphasizes that lack of exercise among obese people is the major cause behind their plight, not unhealthy choice for diet.

Coca-Cola passed funds of $US1.5 million to establish the organization last year. Besides, two of the organization’s founding members - Dr. Steve Blair from the University of South Carolina and Gregory A Hand, dean of the West Virginia University School of Public Health - received nearly $4 million in funding from the company.

The description of a video announcing the new organization indicated that the media deceives people into believing that obesity epidemic has resulted from poor eating habits, but people need to know that French fries is not the real culprit.

Dr. Blair argues in the video that a lack of exercise puts people at the highest risk of obesity, not bad eating.

“Most of the focus in the popular media and in the scientific press is that 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”, he added.