Critics pounce on Coke, Pepsi health initiatives

Sodas, sports drinks and other sugary beverages are an unhealthy choice for kids, according to the nation's leading pediatricians' group, which strictly opposes the sale and advertising of the products in schools.

Yet Coca-Cola's Live Positively slogan and the soda-maker's familiar red-and-white logo pop up on the American Academy of Pediatrics' consumer education website, healthychildren.org, in a corporate sponsorship that some health experts denounce as a serious conflict of interest.

In response to criticism that their products are fueling the obesity epidemic, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and other major players in the food and beverage industry have pledged to be part of the solution. In addition to promoting balance, moderation and physical activity, the companies are forming controversial partnerships with the public health sector, including advocacy organizations and professional medical associations such as the pediatricians' group and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Coca-Cola's Sprite Zero is a national sponsor of the American Cancer Society's Choose You campaign, which encourages women to make healthy lifestyle choices. For five years, Diet Coke has been a corporate partner in a heart disease awareness campaign, Heart Truth, run by the federal National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition are official sponsors of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

Proponents of such collaboration say addressing the complex problem of obesity requires the type of public-private partnership advocated by first lady Michelle Obama in her Let's Move initiative. Rather than working separately, the argument goes, it's better to use the food industry's resources, such as its dramatic reach and persuasive marketing skills.

"We believe in healthy people; when they're healthy and happy, that's the best thing to do for the long-term health of the business and the right thing to do," said Celeste Bottorff, vice president of Living Well, Coca-Cola North America. Partnerships with the medical community help present a balanced picture of what the science says about diet and exercise, Bottorff added.