U. of Colorado Returns Coca-Cola Money Used for Controversial Advocacy Group

The University of Colorado’s medical school is returning a $1-million grant from the Coca-Cola Company after revelations that the money was used to finance a research and advocacy group that urged people to focus more on exercise than how many calories they consume, The New York Times reported.

The group, known as the Global Energy Balance Network, was described in a news release from a wellness center on the university’s medical campus in March as an international network of researchers who were seeking “to prevent and reduce obesity through the science of energy balance.”

The network drew scrutiny over alleged conflicts of interest because of its ties to the soft-drink maker.

The university said on Friday that it was returning the money used to finance the group because the source of the money had “distracted attention from its worthwhile goal.”