Outrageous Physicians' Alliance With Coca-Cola

I'm livid.

Imagine running an animal rights organization, and having slaughterhouses fund your research. Seriously, that would be absurd.

"But wait, if they are offering money for research, why not take it?"

It seems like some of the worst decisions ever made are because of money. But in this case (see below), I can't help but wonder if there is more on the line.

Advice about soft drinks and health from one of the nation's largest doctors groups will soon be brought to you by Coke.

This is not a joke. Read on:

"The American Academy of Family Physicians has a new six-figure alliance with the Coca-Cola Co.

Academy CEO Dr. Douglas Henley said Wednesday that the deal won't influence the group's public health messages, and that the company will have no control over editorial content. He said the new online information will include research linking soft drinks with obesity and will focus on sugar-free alternatives.

But critics say the Coke deal will water down the advice.

'Coca-Cola, like other sodas, causes enormous suffering and premature death by increasing the risks of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, gout, and cavities,' Harvard University nutrition expert Dr. Walter Willett said in an e-mail.

He said the academy 'should be a loud critic of these products and practices, but by signing with Coke their voice has almost surely been muzzled.'

Dr. William Walker, public health officer for Contra Costa County near San Francisco, likened the alliance with ads decades ago in which physicians said mild cigarettes are safe,

Walker has been a member of the academy for 25 years but quit last week. He said 20 other doctors who work with his local medical practice also quit because of the Coke deal."

I discovered this disappointing information in several articles, the original source being the Associated Press. The above quote was found in the Topeka Capital-Journal online.

(However, the most thorough article I've found is Huffington Post. Posted after my initial post!)

I had to check out the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). AAFP website

The AAFP claims to represent "more than 94,600 physicians and medical students nationwide." Does this mean Coca-Cola Co. just hired 94,600 physicians and medical students?

I will repeat the words of world-renowned researcher, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard's School of Public Health, Dr. Walter Willett, "Coca-Cola, like other sodas, causes enormous suffering and premature death by increasing the risks of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, gout, and cavities."

By Coke's dangerous nature and the fact that it provides us with nothing but health risks, these physicians have no business making alliances with Coca-Cola. These physicians are the very people who have the science to know better. What new information about Coke could we possibly benefit from? It's never going to be a product with nutrients we need.

Contact Information for AAFP

Contact Information for Coca-Cola Co.