Lobbists say “An Apple a Day” is a job Killer

 Lobbists say “An Apple a Day” is a job Killer

We are all trying to improve the lifestyles of our next generation by teaching good nutrition and staying physically fit.  Yet for some, the biggest concern isn’t the growing girth of our youth but wanting to keep growing the girth of their bottom line.

According to an article by Donald Cohen “Junk Food Companies Contradict Themselves on Marketing to Kids,” written for the Huffington Post, there is good news. That news is that the Federal Trade Commission, along with three other federal agencies (FDA, CDC and USDA), released a set of proposed guidelines for marketing food to children.  What the FTC wants to do is to reduce sugars, fats and salts and increase fruits, whole grains and vegetables in the diets of American youth.

Now for the bad news, there are villains in this story, don’t all stories need a villain?

Large corporations see this “eating of wholesome foods” idea as a means of reducing their profit margins. Enter the villains!  This according to Mr. Cohen: “A coalition of major manufacturers of processed foods (including Fruit Loops, Lucky Charms and SpaghettiOs) have hired some heavy hitting lobbyist to go to bat for them.”  They don’t want you or your family to live a healthy lifestyle, they aren’t interested in how healthy you are, but they are willing to pay millions to be sure you are purchasing their products.

Why do these big corporations care about marketing to children? That is a great question and one that is answered by Mr. Cohen as he states the follow:

A number of marketing studies have confirmed the obvious: Advertising to kids increases purchasing and consumption. According to an analysis by the FTC, 44 food and beverage companies spent $2 billion in 2006 alone marketing to children. There’s a huge amount at stake for the junk food and media industries. James McNeal, a former marketing professor at Texas A&M University, estimates that children influence more than $100 billion food and beverage purchases each year.

What they are saying here is that for a mere 2 billion dollar investment they are getting a 100 billion dollar return, who wouldn’t want a 5000% return on their investment.  That is good business and these huge corporations are willing to pay dearly to keep that money train rolling.  Not only are they paying huge advertising dollars, they are also willing to pay big bucks to lobbyist as well.  They are banking on everyone having the wool pulled low over their eyes, it is time to wake up, yank off your toque and take notice.  Why do they think they can continue these shenanigans?

  Perhaps they haven’t read anything David Kessler’s, or, perhaps they hope you haven’t read his book yet. Who is Kessler you ask?  David Kessler,  Harvard-trained doctor, lawyer, medical school dean and former commissioner of the FDA, wrote The End of Overeating, a very informative book that details how large corporations spend millions studying what your food triggers are to keep you coming back to their product.

The following is from David Kessler’s site:

THE END OF OVEREATING explains for the first time why it is exceptionally difficult to resist certain foods and why it’s so easy to overindulge. Dr. Kessler met with top scientists, physicians, and food industry insiders. THE END OF OVEREATING uncovers the shocking facts about how we lost control over our eating habits—and how we can get it back. Dr. Kessler presents groundbreaking research, along with what is sure to be a controversial view inside the industry that continues to feed our nation—from popular brand manufacturers to advertisers, chain restaurants, and fast food franchises.

In the end these huge companies are trying to say that their advertising campaigns do not influence purchases made by children. They are trying to say that they are investing 2 billion dollars a year in advertising and it has no impact on anyone anyhow anywhere.

What are your thoughts? Do you think? There will always be new children to market to as last years batch of children mature to stand in line for medications and health care.  The question is, how much do the industries pay to keep our nation unfit so that they can benefit financially and/or are they also investing in rising cost of healthcare?