The University of Colorado School of Medicine is returning a $1 million gift of funding to The Coca-Cola Company as a result of unwelcome public attention after a New York Times article. “The funding source has distracted attention from its worthwhile goal” the School said in a statement.
The corporation donated the money in 2014 to set up a research group called the Global Energy Balance Network to explore how exercise, rather than reducing calorie intake, can be a solution to obesity. Such an objective runs contrary to the official stance of the Surgeon General (the operational head of the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps) that “reducing consumption of sodas and juices with added sugars” should be a priority for the health of the nation.
Coca-Cola has donated over $100 million on other professional health research initiatives, as clearly outlined on the company’s website. The American Academy of Paediatrics and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics received $3 million and $1.7 million respectively. Both Academies have also cut their financial ties with Coca-Cola.
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