Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia.
U.S. Right to Know, Oakland, CA 94611-5221, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 3;17(23):8996. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17238996.
There is currently limited direct evidence of how sponsorship of scientific conferences fits within the food industry's strategy to shape public policy and opinion in its favour. This paper provides an analysis of emails between a vice-president of The Coca-Cola Company (Coke) and prominent public health figures in relation to the 2012 and 2014 International Congresses of Physical Activity and Public Health (ICPAPH). Contrary to Coke's prepared public statements, the findings show that Coke deliberated with its sponsored researchers on topics to present at ICPAPH in an effort to shift blame for the rising incidence of obesity and diet-related diseases away from its products onto physical activity and individual choice. The emails also show how Coke used ICPAPH to promote its front groups and sponsored research networks and foster relationships with public health leaders in order to use their authority to deliver Coke's message. The study questions whether current protocols about food industry sponsorship of scientific conferences are adequate to safeguard public health interests from corporate influence. A safer approach could be to apply the same provisions that are stipulated in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on eliminating all tobacco industry sponsorship to the food industry.
目前，关于赞助科学会议如何符合食品行业塑造有利于自身的公共政策和舆论的策略，直接证据有限。本文分析了可口可乐公司（Coke）副总裁与知名公共卫生人士之间关于 2012 年和 2014 年国际体力活动与公共卫生大会（ICPAPH）的电子邮件。与可口可乐公司事先准备的公开声明相反，调查结果表明，可口可乐公司与其赞助的研究人员就 ICPAPH 上要提出的主题进行了商讨，试图将肥胖和与饮食相关的疾病发病率上升的责任从其产品转移到体力活动和个人选择上。这些电子邮件还显示了可口可乐公司如何利用 ICPAPH 来推广其前沿组织和赞助的研究网络，并与公共卫生领导人建立关系，以便利用他们的权威传递可口可乐公司的信息。该研究质疑当前关于食品行业赞助科学会议的协议是否足以保护公共卫生利益免受企业影响。更安全的方法可能是将《烟草控制框架公约》中规定的关于消除所有烟草行业赞助的相同条款应用于食品行业。
