American Heart Association fights to keep soda on food stamps—guess who funds them?

The American Heart Association is throwing its weight behind soda and junk food—literally. Instead of supporting legislation that would prevent food stamps from being used on sugary drinks and processed snacks, the AHA is fighting it. Why? Because it takes money from the very companies selling these products. Pepsi, Kellogg’s, and other big food corporations pump cash into the AHA, and in return, the organization defends policies that keep their products moving off the shelves, even at the expense of public health.

The proposed legislation is simple. It aims to stop Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits—taxpayer-funded assistance—from being used to buy products that contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This should be a no-brainer for a group claiming to fight heart disease. Instead, the AHA is standing with the junk food industry.

This isn’t a new problem. The AHA has been taking money from big food and beverage companies for years. Between 2011 and 2015, the group, along with other so-called health organizations, accepted sponsorships from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. That money wasn’t charity. It was an investment in influence. Now, when policies threaten the bottom line of these companies, the AHA steps in—not for public health, but for its corporate donors.

The fight over SNAP restrictions has been going on for years, and it’s no surprise that Republican lawmakers are leading the charge to clean it up. In more than a dozen states, bills have been introduced to stop food stamps from funding unhealthy choices. The opposition? The junk food lobby, so-called hunger groups, and—unbelievably—organizations like the AHA that claim to care about health.

This isn’t just about the AHA. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has also been called out for its deep financial ties to corporate donors. The AAP presents itself as a champion for children’s health, yet it, too, partners with major corporations whose financial support conveniently aligns with its policy positions. These professional organizations are no longer independent. They are ideologically and financially captured.

When health organizations oppose policies that would reduce obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, it tells you everything you need to know. They aren’t fighting for health. They’re fighting for their sponsors.

Well I’ll be damned

I’ll be looking at @American_Heart in a whole new light pic.twitter.com/ExYfBXJW27

— WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot (@aleykhat_tx) March 13, 2025

What an absolute scam 🤬

Pharma and food industries fund AHA (besides USAID) https://t.co/67apkHkBgJ

— WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot (@aleykhat_tx) March 13, 2025