A new study shows Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, from 2011 to 2015, collectively sponsored nearly 100 national health and medical groups, including the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the CDC, reports The Washington Post.
For the study, two Boston University researchers identified 96 health organizations sponsored by Coca-Cola or PepsiCo. Researchers defined a “health organization” as any group or program "involved in the public's health," according to the article. The researchers also identified 29 proposed public health bills or regulations, aimed at reducing soda consumption, which either one or both of the companies lobbied against, according to the report.
In response to the study, the American Beverage Association, which represents both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, provided The Washington Post with a statement saying: "America's beverage companies are engaged in public health issues because we, too, want a strong, healthy America. We have a long tradition of supporting community organizations across the country. As this report points out, some of these organizations focus on strengthening public health, which we are proud to support."
The American Heart Association also provided the publication with a statement stating, in part, that it "is leading efforts to reduce consumption of sugary drinks." It further states: "To achieve our goals, we must engage a wide variety of food and beverage companies to be part of the solution. As clearly evidenced by our work, under no circumstances does such occasional funding have any influence on our science and the public policy positions we advocate for."
Additionally, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, listed as one of the sponsored health groups, said in a statement provided to The Washington Post the "fundraisers in question were individual local initiatives" and not national sponsorships.
The report comes on the heels of decades-old documents that reveal the sugar industry made efforts to downplay the link between sugar consumption andheart disease.
The report notes that the study also comes amid increasing scrutiny of the soda industry's influence over the public health debate, especially over soda's link to obesity, and legislative efforts aimed at curbing its influence.