What effect do corporate sponsorships from food companies have on the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Registered Dietitian organization (formally known as the American Dietetic Association)?
Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Conflicts of Interest
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Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“The food industry enjoys influential positions in surprising places. The American Dietetic Association…, [the world’s largest association of nutrition professionals is], in its own words, …devoted to ‘improving the nation’s health.'” To that end, they “promote…a series of Nutrition Fact Sheets.” Who writes them?
“Industry sources pay $20,000 per fact sheet to the ADA, and [explicitly] take part in writing the documents; the ADA then promotes them through its [scientific] journal…Some of these fact sheets are “What’s a Mom to Do: Healthy Eating Tips for Families” sponsored [and co-written] by Wendy’s; “Lamb: The Essence of Nutrient Rich Flavor” sponsored by [the lamb industry]; “Cocoa and Chocolate: Sweet News” [from] the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition); “Eggs…” sponsored by the [American Egg Board’s] Egg Nutrition Center; “…Responsible Drinking Choices” [from] the Distilled Spirits Council); and “The Benefits of Chewing Gum” sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute.” I didn’t know Wrigley’s had a science institute.
“In…2008, the ADA announced that the Coca-Cola Company had become an “ADA Partner” through its corporate relations sponsorship program. The ADA…’provides partners a national platform via ADA events and programs with prominent access to key influencers, thought leaders and decision makers in the nutrition marketplace.’ The ADA’s press release also pointed out that ‘the Coca-Cola Company will share [their] research findings with ADA members in forums such as professional meetings and scientific publications.’”
Did you know that there are “[n]o harmful effects of different Coca-cola beverages…on rat [testicles]”? Was that even a concern? Thou doth protest too much, methinks.
When the American Academy of Family Physicians was called out on their proud new corporate relationship with Coke to “support…patient education on healthy eating,” an executive vice-president of the Academy tried to quell protest by explaining that “this [alliance] was not without precedent, as [they] had [similar] relationships with Pepsi and McDonald’s for some time.” Reminiscent of similar types of relationships in the past.
The fact that the Academy of Family Physicians was also collaborating with Pepsi and McDonald’s didn’t seem to placate critics. So, the exec continued, look, “even the American Dietetic Association…has made a policy statement that ‘There are no good or bad foods.'” Indeed, that’s the ADA’s official position: “classification of specific foods as good or bad is overly simplistic.”
“The ADA has taken a strong stand that there are no good foods or bad foods—a position that the food industry has then exploited. In its early years, the tobacco industry sounded a similar theme: smoking per se was not bad, only ‘excess’ smoking.” Everything in moderation.
“Is this what [family docs] have been reduced to…? To justify an unholy financial alliance we hide behind what others say and do and deny that there are actually unhealthy ‘bad’ foods? I wonder how much money the ADA receives from the Coca-Cola Company and other food and beverage companies to have come up with [their] “no good or bad foods” philosophy?
In 2012, the American Dietetic Association changed their name to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Did their policies change at all? After all, they now have nutrition in their title. A landmark report last year, from one of my favorite industry watchdogs, found that they continue to take millions of dollars in corporate sponsorship money every year from meat, processed junk, dairy, soda, and candy bar companies—and, in return, offer official educational seminars to teach dietitians what to say to their clients. So, when you hear the title “registered dietitian,” this is the group they are registered with.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- M Simon. And Now a Word From Our Sponsors. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2013 1 – 51.
- J H Freeland-Graves, S Nitzke. Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics: Total diet approach to healthy eating. J Acad Nutr Diet 2013 113(2):307 – 317.
- L Tóthová, J Hodosy, K Mettenburg, H Fábryová, A Wagnerová, J Bábívcková, M Okuliarová, M Zeman, P Celec. No harmful effect of different Coca-cola beverages after 6 months of intake on rat testes. Food Chem Toxicol 2013 62:343 – 348.
- J L Murray. Coke and the AAFP - The Real Thing or a Dangerous Liaison? Fam Med 2010 42(1):57 – 58.
- K D Brownell, K E Warner. The perils of ignoring history: Big Tobacco played dirty and millions died. How similar is Big Food? Milbank Q 2009 87(1):259 – 294.
Images thanks to Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“The food industry enjoys influential positions in surprising places. The American Dietetic Association…, [the world’s largest association of nutrition professionals is], in its own words, …devoted to ‘improving the nation’s health.'” To that end, they “promote…a series of Nutrition Fact Sheets.” Who writes them?
“Industry sources pay $20,000 per fact sheet to the ADA, and [explicitly] take part in writing the documents; the ADA then promotes them through its [scientific] journal…Some of these fact sheets are “What’s a Mom to Do: Healthy Eating Tips for Families” sponsored [and co-written] by Wendy’s; “Lamb: The Essence of Nutrient Rich Flavor” sponsored by [the lamb industry]; “Cocoa and Chocolate: Sweet News” [from] the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition); “Eggs…” sponsored by the [American Egg Board’s] Egg Nutrition Center; “…Responsible Drinking Choices” [from] the Distilled Spirits Council); and “The Benefits of Chewing Gum” sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute.” I didn’t know Wrigley’s had a science institute.
“In…2008, the ADA announced that the Coca-Cola Company had become an “ADA Partner” through its corporate relations sponsorship program. The ADA…’provides partners a national platform via ADA events and programs with prominent access to key influencers, thought leaders and decision makers in the nutrition marketplace.’ The ADA’s press release also pointed out that ‘the Coca-Cola Company will share [their] research findings with ADA members in forums such as professional meetings and scientific publications.’”
Did you know that there are “[n]o harmful effects of different Coca-cola beverages…on rat [testicles]”? Was that even a concern? Thou doth protest too much, methinks.
When the American Academy of Family Physicians was called out on their proud new corporate relationship with Coke to “support…patient education on healthy eating,” an executive vice-president of the Academy tried to quell protest by explaining that “this [alliance] was not without precedent, as [they] had [similar] relationships with Pepsi and McDonald’s for some time.” Reminiscent of similar types of relationships in the past.
The fact that the Academy of Family Physicians was also collaborating with Pepsi and McDonald’s didn’t seem to placate critics. So, the exec continued, look, “even the American Dietetic Association…has made a policy statement that ‘There are no good or bad foods.'” Indeed, that’s the ADA’s official position: “classification of specific foods as good or bad is overly simplistic.”
“The ADA has taken a strong stand that there are no good foods or bad foods—a position that the food industry has then exploited. In its early years, the tobacco industry sounded a similar theme: smoking per se was not bad, only ‘excess’ smoking.” Everything in moderation.
“Is this what [family docs] have been reduced to…? To justify an unholy financial alliance we hide behind what others say and do and deny that there are actually unhealthy ‘bad’ foods? I wonder how much money the ADA receives from the Coca-Cola Company and other food and beverage companies to have come up with [their] “no good or bad foods” philosophy?
In 2012, the American Dietetic Association changed their name to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Did their policies change at all? After all, they now have nutrition in their title. A landmark report last year, from one of my favorite industry watchdogs, found that they continue to take millions of dollars in corporate sponsorship money every year from meat, processed junk, dairy, soda, and candy bar companies—and, in return, offer official educational seminars to teach dietitians what to say to their clients. So, when you hear the title “registered dietitian,” this is the group they are registered with.
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.
- M Simon. And Now a Word From Our Sponsors. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2013 1 – 51.
- J H Freeland-Graves, S Nitzke. Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics: Total diet approach to healthy eating. J Acad Nutr Diet 2013 113(2):307 – 317.
- L Tóthová, J Hodosy, K Mettenburg, H Fábryová, A Wagnerová, J Bábívcková, M Okuliarová, M Zeman, P Celec. No harmful effect of different Coca-cola beverages after 6 months of intake on rat testes. Food Chem Toxicol 2013 62:343 – 348.
- J L Murray. Coke and the AAFP - The Real Thing or a Dangerous Liaison? Fam Med 2010 42(1):57 – 58.
- K D Brownell, K E Warner. The perils of ignoring history: Big Tobacco played dirty and millions died. How similar is Big Food? Milbank Q 2009 87(1):259 – 294.
Images thanks to Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising
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Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics Conflicts of Interest
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Content URLDoctor's Note
Michele Simon is the muckraking powerhouse behind that exposé. Check out her blog: Eat Drink Politics.
For more on the corrosive effect of money and politics in nutrition, see:
- Food Industry “Funding Effect”
- BOLD Indeed: Beef Lowers Cholesterol?
- Chicken Salmonella Thanks to Meat Industry Lawsuit
- Who Determines If Food Additives are Safe?
- Who Says Eggs Aren’t Healthy or Safe?
- Seeing Red No. 3: Coloring to Dye For
- Taxpayer Subsidies for Unhealthy Foods
- The McGovern Report
- Dietary Guidelines: Advisory Committee Conflicts of Interest
- My Testimony Before the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Committee
There are lots of evidence-based dietitians. My two favorites are Brenda Davis and Jeff Novick. And now there’s a whole organization! Check out Dietitians for Professional Integrity.
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