Perhaps nothing should surprise us anymore, but an NIH institute partnering with Coca-Cola, one of the world’s major purveyors of junk food is really beyond the pale. The liquid candy manufacturer recently made headlines with its sponsorship arrangement with the American Academy of Family Physicians, part of its wide-ranging effort to “healthwash” its reputation.
From the ever-vigilant Center for Science in the Public Interest:
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute should not partner with Coca-Cola to raise awareness of heart disease among women, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In a letter to the NHLBI, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest says overweight and obesity are prime risk factors for heart disease, and the agency shouldn’t be bolstering the dismal reputation of the Coca-Cola Company, the world’s biggest manufacturer of obesigenic soft drinks.
“It is as inappropriate as it would be to allow Philip Morris to sponsor NHLBI’s anti-smoking efforts,” wrote CSPI‘s executive director Michael F. Jacobson and nutrition policy advocate George A. Hacker, in a letter to NHLBI director Susan B. Shurin.
In addition to Coke, the NHLBI Heart Truth Web site publicizes two other corporate sponsors: Snyder’s of Hanover, which CSPI describes in its letter as “a major producer of snack foods made largely of white flour and salt,” and Sara Lee, which “is famous for its artery-clogging cheesecakes, salty Ball Park hot dogs, and Jimmy Dean sausages.”
Those foods, like Coke and other sugary soft drinks, are exactly the kinds of foods that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises people to eat less of, according to CSPI.
“Promoting the corporate image of Coca-Cola Co. and other junk-food makers undermines the advice in the government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and is contrary to the spirit of the executive order signed by the President just last week,” Jacobson said.
