The Coca-Cola Debate Continues: Do Calories Really Cause Weight Gain?

When it comes to weight loss, there are too many opinions on what aids in it and what hinders it. But it's been widely assumed that cutting your calories is a major player in the game. Coca-Cola recently gave a million dollars to a new research group that pushed the idea that it's not too many calories that are the problem, it's the lack of exercise. Many speculate that this is a marketing plan brought to you by the biggest beverage distributer of sugary drinks, however.   And there are others who downright disagree with this message. "There's an overwhelming amount of research demonstrating that, from an individual perspective, the key is decreasing calories modestly to successfully lose weight over time,"  Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School said. "It's certainly great to add exercise, but to suggest that it's the solution to the obesity epidemic … is ridiculous." And yet, Steven Belair, a member of the nonprofit organization called Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN) still says that when it comes to pointing the finger at fast food and sugary drinks as one of the biggest causes for obesity, "there's really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause." And on GEBN's website, a message states that there is "strong evidence that it is easier to sustain at a moderate to high level of physical activity (maintaining an active lifestyle and eating more calories)" than to simply sit still and focus on keeping your calorie intake to a minimum. So who is right? As the debate continues to unravel, only time will tell. But in the meantime, it's safe to say you should continue to enjoy and value your exercise as well as eat and drink mindfully. Have you found that keeping your calorie intake in check benefits your weight loss goals? Source: Live Science Do you follow us on Instagram?