Many nutrition researchers are pointing the finger at increased consumption of sodas and other sugar-laden foods as a major cause of rising obesity world-wide. But at the three-day conference, the think tank, Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, aims to show that sweeteners aren't solely to blame and can be part of a healthy diet.

The nonprofit group is respected by many in the nutrition and health community for debunking some of the myths of the low-fat fad in the 1990s. It says it wants to set the record straight on the science surrounding sugar, and at the same time find effective ways to teach people how to control excessive intake of sweets.

The meeting is sponsored by Coke's Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness, an arm of the Atlanta company established in March to support nutrition research and education. Four sugar and sweetener makers that Coke's institute invited to participate also are helping foot the bill: Cargill Inc., Celanese AG's Nutrinova, Tate & Lyle PLC and Ajinomoto Co. of Japan....

Conflicting studies and assertions have confused consumers about the health effects of sugar and other sweeteners, says K. Dun Gifford, Oldways' founder and president, who in an earlier career was the national campaign coordinator for Sen. Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign. Some nutritionists blame sugar and sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, used in soft drinks and many processed foods in the U.S., for the nation's weight gain, while others say the links aren't so clear.

Mr. Gifford says he chose to take on sweetness as a topic because of the challenges of communicating effectively to people about how to manage their intake. The real problem that needs to be addressed, he says, is how to "manage sweetness," i.e., not eat too much of it.

Mr. Gifford -- who is an adviser to Coke's Beverage Institute -- says the financial support from Coke won't impair his organization's efforts to probe sweeteners. "We did not invite scientists who had the appearance of being too closely tied to industry, or critics of industry whose claims appear extreme," the organization said in a introduction handed out to conference participants...

Researchers at the gathering presented evidence yesterday to counter some popular assertions about sugary foods and drinks. Contrary to a 2003 report by the World Health Organization, soft drinks are not energy-dense foods (which have been blamed by some experts for obesity), said Adam Drewnowski, professor of epidemiology and medicine and director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington in Seattle. Their high water content gives them the energy density of fresh carrots, he said. "The WHO did not get quite everything right," he said.