Last year, a committee of experts published an alarming report on childhood obesity for a scholarly journal published by the American Academy of Family Physicians. The committee listed a litany of dietary habits that cause children to pack on the pounds. First on the list: "Frequently consuming fast food and large volumes of sweet beverages (e.g., fruit juices, soft drinks)." The report recommended eliminating sweet drinks entirely or severely limiting their consumption.

That requires willpower, of course. And unfortunately, the American Academy of Family Physicians itself has set a poor example when it comes to resisting the lure of the soft-drink industry.

The academy has accepted a grant from Coca-Cola, reportedly in the neighborhood of $500,000. It will use the money for educational materials about drinks and sweeteners for its consumer Web site, FamilyDoctor.org. Leftover funds will go to the academy's general budget.

In return, Coca-Cola gets what? Legitimacy, for one thing. Consumers are less likely to consider a product unhealthy if it's listed as a partner with a leading physicians' alliance. In a more shameful scenario, the soft-drink manufacturer would succeed in muting the message that the academy puts out to its consumers.

Academy leaders say they won't allow the hefty corporate grant to compromise the organization's integrity.

"We have total editorial control, as we always have, of FamilyDoctor.org," said Executive Vice President Douglas Henley.

The academy will use the grant funds to update content on its Web site, he said, and will post studies and information about different beverages and, in particular, sugary drinks. The site should be upgraded in the first quarter of 2010.

"I would hope folks won't rush to judgment but hold us to the content we're going to put on FamilyDoctor.org," Mr. Henley said. But consumers accessing that content will soon be informed that information about soft drinks is being sponsored in part by Coca-Cola, "a proud partner of FamilyDoctor.org."

That's a mixed message, regardless of the content.

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