Slowing the spread of junk science is a lot like trying to un-spill a glass of water. Once the damage is done, the product has a life of its own. Sunday’s Providence Journal provided a great illustration of this in a story about the “temptation” offered by soda-machine contracts which often add tens of thousands of dollars to local school budgets. “It’s been a fountain of bad news lately,” the story goes, “for soda companies eager to do business in schools.” The article points to two studies to buttress this claim: “…a study that found that one soft drink a day gives children a 60-percent greater chance of becoming obese, regardless of diet and exercise. Another concluded that drinking cola made active girls five times more likely to have bone fractures.” The problem here is that the “science” is corrupt. No matter how often it’s quoted in newspapers or on television, a lie is still a lie. For more information on the cultural war being waged against soda pop (and the questionable “research” being used as ammunition), read our report entitled Hop on Pop.
