Yes, you read the title right. Pepsi has committed to funding a graduate fellowship for the Yale Medical School MD-Phd program to aid “nutritional science research”. You can bet that any studies that come out of this fellowship will be picked up by major media outlets and reported like the information came from an objective, nonprofit thinktank. Of course, the fact that Pepsi actually funded the research will be conveniently overlooked.
Also overlooked is the primary role high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), used in so many PepsiCo products, is playing in the obesity and diabetes epidemics. A recent study concluded that HFCS in soda is contributing to tens of thousands of new cases of diabetes, particularly in children. Ironically, Yale’s new fellowship is slated to focus on the topics of obesity and diabetes. Will soda be fingered as a primary culprit by the Yale researchers? Don’t bet on it.
The dean of Yale’s medical school was also quoted as saying that “Pepsi’s commitment to improving health through proper nutrition is of great importance to the well-being of people in this country and throughout the world”. Is this guy for real? Like many MDs these days, this poor chap seems to be operating one can short of a six pack.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Too funny!!
Very funny in a not so funny way….
Reminds me of Impeached Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaking at Northwestern University on ethics in government.
r