Do Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Cause Obesity and Diabetes?
Authors: Maia M. Jack
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2017)

Letters4 July 2017Do Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Cause Obesity and Diabetes?Maia M. Jack, PhDMaia M. Jack, PhDFrom American Beverage Association, Washington, DC.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L17-0192 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Scientists principally evaluate research on the basis of the strength of scientific methods and reasoning, not on the identity or affiliation of investigators (1). However, some—including Schillinger and colleagues (2)—have recently argued that research should be judged on its funding source, not its analytical rigor or scientific merit. Discrediting studies solely on the basis of funding source disserves scientific inquiry and casts unjustified judgments on the investigators producing them.Industry has an obligation to research its products' efficacy—typically through interventional studies—and safety (3). Dismissing industry-sponsored research on the basis of funding is no more valid than discarding ...References1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Grade definitions and chart. 2017. Accessed at www.andeal.org/grade-chart on 3 November 2016. Google Scholar2. Schillinger D, Tran J, Mangurian C, Kearns C. Do sugar-sweetened beverages cause obesity and diabetes? Industry and the manufacture of scientific controversy [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165:895-7. [PMID: 27802504]. doi:10.7326/L16-0534 LinkGoogle Scholar3. Myers EF, Parrott JS, Cummins DS, Splett P. Funding source and research report quality in nutrition practice-related research. PLoS One. 2011;6:e28437. [PMID: 22163017] doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028437 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Te Morenga L, Mallard S, Mann J. Dietary sugars and body weight: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cohort studies. BMJ. 2012;346:e7492. [PMID: 23321486] doi:10.1136/bmj.e7492 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Policy on committee composition and balance and conflicts of interest for committees used in the development of reports. May 2003. Accessed at http://nationalacademies.org/site_assets/groups/nasite/documents/webpage/na_069688.pdf on 25 May 2017. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From American Beverage Association, Washington, DC.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L17-0192. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoDo Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Cause Obesity and Diabetes? Industry and the Manufacture of Scientific Controversy Dean Schillinger , Jessica Tran , Christina Mangurian , and Cristin Kearns Do Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Cause Obesity and Diabetes? Joanne Slavin Do Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Cause Obesity and Diabetes? Dean Schillinger and Cristin Kearns Metrics Cited byFacilitators of and barriers to collaboration between universities and the food industry in nutrition research: a qualitative study 4 July 2017Volume 167, Issue 1Page: 72KeywordsCarbohydratesConflicts of interestDisclosureGlobal healthObesityReasoningResearch assessmentResearch designSafetyScientists ePublished: 4 July 2017 Issue Published: 4 July 2017 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2017 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...