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The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1093/eurpub/cky175 Advance Access published on 29 August 2018
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Research partnerships between Coca-Cola and health
organizations in Spain
Juan Pablo Rey-López1, Carlos A. Gonzalez2
1 Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW,
Australia
2 Unit of Nutrition and Cancer, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain
Correspondence: Juan Pablo Rey-López, Prevention Research Collaboration, School of Public Health, Sydney Medical
School, The University of Sydney, L6 West, Hub D17, NSW, 2006, Australia, Tel: +61 0286275484, e-mail:
juan.reylopez@sydney.edu.au
Principal investigator/ Project title References Journal/Year Type Main exposures Main outcomes Coca-Cola support Conflicts of Aligned with Coca-Cola
centre and year of study disclosed interest disclosed marketing strategies,
neutral or NA
11
MGG/Polytechnic Piramide de estilos de Nutr Hosp/2013 Review Physical activity Obesity hydration Yes None Aligned (Strategy 1, 2)
University of Madrid vida saludable Sport drinks
(2006–2017) Sedentary behaviours
12
GVM/University San ANIBES (2012–2017) Nutrients/2015 Cross-sectional Energy intake – Yes None Aligned (Strategy 3,4)
Pablo CEU (Madrid)
13
Nutr Hosp/2015 Cross-sectional Energy intake – No None Aligned (Strategy 1)
14
Nutrients/2015 Cross-sectional Physical activity Obesity Yes None Aligned (Strategy 1, 4)
Sedentary behaviours
Food groups
15
Plos One/2016 Cross-sectional Physical activity – Yes None NA
16
Nutrients/2016 Cross-sectional Energy intake – Yes None Aligned (Strategy 4)
17
Nutrients/2016 Cross-sectional Beverages Energy intake Yes None Aligned (Strategy 4)
18
Biomed Res Int/2016 Cross-sectional Obesity – Yes None NA
19
Nutr Hosp/2016 Cross-sectional Beverages Energy intake No None Aligned (Strategy 3)
20
Nutr Hosp/2016 Cross-sectional Beverages Nutrients Yes None Aligned (Strategy 4)
21
Nutr Hosp/2016 Review Physical activity Parental education No None Neutral
Sedentary behaviours
Dietary patterns
22
Plos One/2016 Cross-sectional Physical activity Obesity Yes None Aligned (Strategy 1)
TV viewing
Sleep
Smoking
Education
Income
23
J Am Coll Nutr/2017 Cross-sectional Food and beverages Obesity Yes None Aligned (Strategy 1, 4)
24
BMC Public Health/2017 Cross-sectional Sedentary behaviour – Yes None NA
25
Nutrients/2017 Cross-sectional Micronutrients – Yes None NA
(Ca, Mg, P, Vit D)
26
Nutrients/2017 Cross-sectional Micronutrients (Fe) – Yes None NA
27
Nutrients/2017 Cross-sectional Sugar intake – Yes None Aligned (Strategy 4)
28
Nutrients/2017 Cross-sectional Fibre intake Obesity Yes None Aligned (Strategy 1)
29
Public Health Nutr/2017 Cross-sectional Food patterns Obesity Yes None Aligned (Strategy 1)
(food timing)
30
Nutrients/2017 Cross-sectional Beverages – Yes None Aligned (Strategy 2)
‘healthwashing’ strategies (activities promoted by Coca-Cola to Our study has some important implications for future research on
promote the message that it is a leader in the crusade for good this topic and for policymakers. The lack of transparency found in
health, while engaging in practices that are contributing to ill- this study among authors and organizations sponsored by Coca-
health). It is noticeable that the Coca-Cola list in Spain contained Cola demonstrates that organizations related with health (whose
numerous names of projects that were not useful to map their mission should be to promote health and education based on the
research activities. In addition, we detected errors in the Coca- best available evidence) have been hijacked by companies that harm
Cola transparency list. For example, we contacted the population health. Therefore, it seems urgent to promote a set of
‘Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation’ (FINUT) to obtain further initiatives (i.e. regulations) to protect peoples’s health. We provide
information about one grant related to the ACTIVATE project. evidence that biomedical research funded by this beverage company
FINUT negated any involvement in grants for the ACTIVATE is serving its commercial objectives that, in many cases, are at odds
project. Nevertheless, FINUT declared to us that they have been with efforts to improve population health.
recently involved in the project ACTIBATE yet its personnel
reserved further opinion on the matter. The ACTIBATE project, Supplementary data
funded by Spanish governmental agencies and some pharmaceutical
companies, examines the effect of exercise on the activation of Supplementary data are available at EURPUB online.
brown adipose tissue as a way to prevent obesity and treat cardio-
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Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2012. excess body weight and abdominal obesity in adults of the ANIBES study. Nutrients
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