Nov 9, 2009 7:28 pm US/Pacific
Doctors Oppose Partnership With Coca-Cola
(CBS 5)
A partnership between one of the country's major medical groups and soft drink giant Coca Cola is stirring up controversy. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is under fire for its decision to accept over $100,000 from Coca Cola for help to promote health education. But angry doctors are questioning how AAFP could agree to such a partnership as obesity and diabetes continue to rise.
Dr. William Walker, Director of Contra Costa Health Services, tore up his membership card after being an AAFP member for 25 years.
"It sends a bigger message and the wrong message," said Dr. Walker. "That physicians are partnering with a beverage industry, which is fact killing our kids."
The Academy fights for health care policies and runs a well-respected health education website: FamilyDoctor.org.
An Academy spokesman told CBS 5 that Coke will have no direct say in its new education campaign.
Dr. Walker said that teenagers consume nearly a pound of sugar a week which will ultimately contribute to obesity, diabetes, heart disease in children and young adults.
But a Coca-Cola spokesperson said that the obesity epidemic is too complex to blame on any single product, and hopes that its partnership with AAFP will ultimately help educate Americans to make thoughtful, sensible decisions about what they choose to eat and drink.
One San Francisco resident supports taxing such products, telling CBS 5 "If there is proof that it is adding to the obesity in children and a problem that we do have in our health there should be an additional tax just like cigarettes and other things that are bad for our health."
Dr. Walker believes Cola-Cola's motive for the partnership is to gain public support against taxing their products. He thinks doctors can educate the public without Coke's help.
"If we take this on strongly, I think their market is going to be impacted," he said. "That's what they're afraid of."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Coca-Cola answers more questions from CBS 5 about the AAFP partnership.
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments