Yes people keep misquoting Gary Taubes on that one. All he said was that the current science doesn't match the prevailing cultural wisdom because the science is sloppy and all over the map. He says we need better science.

That's not the same as saying, the science proves exercise this or that.

Honestly sometimes I think the health policy world's corruption of science spills over into everything and makes everyone sloppy about what science ( or science writers ! ) say. It's like contagious.