Doctors With a Bone to Pick

It's always good to hear news of a wholesome social protest, especially when it concerns doctors sticking their tongues out at their own industry association for befriending Coca-Cola. Aside from the fact that they have a good point, it's just good theater: family physicians, 1, allies of international soda conglomerate, 0. Oh yeah, bring it on!

Here's the story: 20 family physicians in Contra Costa County, Calif., chucked their membership cards for the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in the trash as a means of protesting what they see as the AAFP's unholy alliance with Coca-Cola, according to the Contra Costa Times.

Not only that, but Dr. William Walker, a 25-year AAFP member and the director of the Contra Costa Department of Health Services, was one of those ripping his cards to shreds. "The AAFP is supposed to be an organization that works to protect the health of children not put them at risk," he said in a statement.

Even better is the letter that Dr. Wendel Brunner, PhD, MD, and director of public health in the Contra Costa Department of Health Services wrote to representative of the California Association of Family Physicians on the issue. He gave nutritionist Marion Nestle permission to post excerpts from the missive on her blog Food Politics.

"I am an old county doctor, but I still believe that physicians have a responsibility to advocate for their patients and fight to protect their health, and to first of all, do no harm," he wrote. "I am truly gratified to see that our younger physicians in Contra Costa have those same values too."

Take that, AAFP! But wait, the drama's not over yet. "We anticipate," continued Dr. Brunner, "that there will be more resignations as this story develops." I'll raise a glass of Coke to that!

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