washingtonpost.com
Sugar, Vending Groups Take Action Against Obesity Claims
By Caroline E. Mayer and Dina ElBoghdady
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, January 13, 2005; Page E01
Two more food industry groups are taking the offensive against claims that their products play a role in the nation's growing obesity problem.
Concerned about efforts to curb the sale of junk food in schools, the vending machine trade association is teaming up with pro football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann to announce today its own $1 million campaign against childhood obesity. One feature will be rating the nutritional value of the food in the machines. A red sticker on a candy bar, for example, would mean it should be chosen rarely, while a green sticker on a granola bar would mean it's more nutritious and can be selected more frequently.
Meanwhile, the Sugar Association, worried about the declining sales, is going to spend at least $3 million a year for the next three years to give consumers "permission to use sugar," according to Melanie Miller, a spokeswoman for the association. "In moderation, it's not evil," she said, noting a teaspoon is only 15 calories.
The industry-sponsored drives come as the food industry is being blamed for the growing number of obese Americans, particularly children. The number of obese children has more than doubled in the past 30 years.
Many health care professionals and consumer activists are calling for greater government oversight of food advertising to kids, while dozens of school districts have started to change the mix of products in vending machines, replacing soda with water and chips with fruit.
Responding to those concerns, many companies are reformulating their products to make them more healthful. Others are launching programs to promote greater physical activity in school children. Yesterday, the nation's largest food company, Kraft Foods Inc., announced it would curb radio, TV and print ads for many of its snack foods, such as Oreos and Chips Ahoy, to children under 12.
The company and industry-wide efforts "are offensive, defensive and good strategy," said Paul Kurnit, head of KidShop, a New York marketing firm that advises food companies on promoting products to kids. "Manufacturers, marketers and advertisers are certainly feeling the heat about the whole issue of healthy lifestyles and obesity, and it's not going to go away."
The $30-billion-a-year vending machine industry has a lot at stake, with 16 percent of its 7 million machines in schools. Most of the machines are locally owned and operated by people "who are parents too and are just as concerned as everybody else about the whole devastating impact of childhood obesity," Richard M. Geerdes, president of the National Automatic Merchandising Association, said in a telephone interview yesterday.
"We feel vending machines can be part of the solution by offering the right kind of products," Geerdes said. His group's campaign will include special events and after-school programs to promote physical activity and nutrition, he said.
Helping launch that campaign will be a paid appearance by former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Swann, who also serves as chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. His council role was noted in the trade group's initial notice about today's news conference, according to the Web site Corporatecrimereporter.com. That reference was a mistake and was dropped in subsequent notices, said the trade group's spokeswoman Jackie Clark, who added that Swann is appearing on his own behalf and is not representing the president's council.
Swann was unavailable to comment. Bill Pierce, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the council, said Swann's presence is permissible and will further the administration's goal to encourage all programs that promote exercise and better nutrition.
The sugar association's advertising campaign is only its second, Miller said. The first, launched 20 years ago, was followed by a 12 to 15 percent increase in sales, she said. Now, sales are declining again -- down 4 percent last year -- a result of health concerns, low-carb diets and the popularity of alternative sweeteners, particularly sucralose, which is known as Splenda.
"We'd like to take back our identity," Miller said. "Instead of 'Splenda and spice and everything nice,' we'd like to go back to 'sugar and spice and everything nice.' "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...av=rss_business
Sugar, Vending Groups Take Action Against Obesity Claims
Linear Mode
