The Obesity Explosion
The issue grows hotter as many are caught in the fire
Richard Ingles
The media debate on obesity has gone wild worldwide. According to research commissioned by Millward Brown Precis, the volume of articles mentioning obesity in the U.K. press alone in the first five months of 2004 exceeded the total 2003 volume and, for the full year, is expected to more than double 2003 rates. And 2003 represented a 60% increase on 2002 volumes!
So what's driving the debate?
The lifestyle debate has been simmering for ages, but for many years this has been primarily a U.S. issue. Whereas fifty years ago kids reveled in kicking a football around the park, now the image of the pre-teen and teenager is a lazy one, slouching on the sofa watching TV, getting kicks out of the latest computer games and feasting on "junk food." Diet, lack of physical exercise, and stress are all cited as causes of the problem – the fat epidemic may have started in the U.S., but it is now firmly entrenched as a key issue in Western Europe. Obesity has, in fact, been declared a national epidemic in the U.S., and in the U.K., obesity rates have doubled since the 1980's. As the British Dietetic Association reported, "almost one in 10 children under 11 is obese, and many are expected to die before their parents."
The reports are now being published thick and fast, such that obesity never falls off the media agenda. Food Standards Agency reports, lawsuits in the U.S. against McDonald's and Kraft, medical research, new diets, Consumer Association reports … the list is endless. The themes of the obesity debate have broadened under the media spotlight, and processed foods, fat and sugar content, trans fatty acids, carbohydrates and Atkins, as well as other diets, all contribute to column inches. Within what can often be best described as confusion and panic, it's frequently the dieticians who come out with the most sensible advice, "Don't be afraid to give your children the food they enjoy now and again, the odd trip to McDonald's is not the cause of the huge expansion of obesity among children in this country, it's the three to four trips a week when it does become an issue" (Plymouth Evening Herald).
Which companies are associated with obesity?
The large corporations don't seem to be able to avoid the flak. On the back of the successful class actions against the tobacco giants, lawyers are now turning their attention to food manufacturers and fast food giants, and lawsuits filed against McDonald's and Kraft have generated significant amounts of media interest. But they are not alone. Millward Brown Precis' research indicates that McDonald's and Coca-Cola take the lion's share of criticism, but other companies such as Cadbury, KFC, Pepsi, Kellogg's and Unilever are also guilty by association.
The Cadbury's Get Active campaign was much maligned in April 2003, as the media cynically concluded that the promotion was self-serving, only encouraging children to eat more chocolate. The issue of child obesity came through negatively, and the Guardian declared: “Cadbury has just announced plans for a big sports sponsorship programme which we believe is basically bribing parents to buy products they know to be bad for their children … The problem is it is often the poorest schools, where children's diet tends to be the worst anyway … so it’s perpetuating ill-health and obesity.”
Even cereal manufacturers such as Kellogg's and Nestlé are dragged into the debate, as the high sugar content of cereals is revealed. Headlines such as "Cereal Killers" and "Frosties aren't that grrreat when it comes to a healthy diet" accompanied news of the Consumers' Association report that "Britons are starting the day on breakfast cereals that are laced with sugar, salt and fat at levels linked to obesity and poor health."
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Coca-Cola has witnessed a gradual but significant increase in negative coverage on obesity in the last 12 months. In an article on childhood obesity and the "fat generation" in the Sunday Mirror, the reformed teenager Colin Ord, who weighed 10 stone at the age of 7, 18 stone at 11, and 33 stone at 15, compared his old and new diets: "Colin's old diet included a litre of Coke for breakfast, a litre of Coke for lunch, biscuits or chocolate bars and Coke for supper and a midnight feast of cakes, biscuits and Coke.”
And then in the midst of the Dasani uproar, the Daily Mail (March 2004) attacked Coca-Cola mercilessly, "This, after all, is the company that had the nerve to call a can of Coke 'the real thing' – when it's actually 12 fluid ounces of carbonated water, sweetener, flavour additives, colour additives, and a dash of caffeine. Think of the way it promotes the drink as the ultimate refreshment, and how it remorselessly targets the young – despite the fact that a study has shown consumption levels of 'soda' drinks such as Coke are among the best indicators of whether a child will suffer from obesity."
Despite all its efforts to clean up its act and put healthy options onto its menus, McDonald's romps home as the clear leader in its associations with obesity. Like Coca-Cola, with its roots in the U.S., McDonald's is dragged into the debate on both sides of the pond, but since January 2004, its Super Size meals have been singled out. In March, The Times announced, "The world's biggest fast food firm promised yesterday to scrap its supersize portions in the clearest sign yet that business is bowing to political and consumer pressure to tackle obesity." This coincided with ministers' announcing a national consultation on public health, with journalists positioning McDonald's as anxious to avoid any threat of legal action. McDonald's responded that the move to announce new menu ranges with lower calorie alternatives was not driven by obesity, but the Food Commission cast doubt on this: "This is driven by the threat of litigation and legislation … while good to hear … [the]whole fast food industry needs to be cleaning up its act."
Marketing to Children
With obesity a subject of public preoccupation, the government is now looking into the issue of such companies' targeting children with their advertising. The media are in no doubt. They blame companies for their self interest and profit focus, and claim they are behaving irresponsibly by marketing so heavily to children. As The Observer commented in early June, “Coca-Cola is famously the most valuable brand in the world. Pepsi figures among Fortune's globally most admired companies. Cadbury Schweppes prides itself on its staunch Quaker antecedents. These companies make much of their citizenship credentials and sporting value statements … So why do they at the same time compete to load their products with sugar, salt and fat which they know will harm their customers? Why do they persuade kids to pester their parents, charge more for healthier products and run promotions to make people eat and drink more? It’s absurd to think that community involvement or sports sponsorship could compensate for such behaviour.” And The Times, in an article entitled "Sweets with a bitter taste," charged: "Cadbury's is encouraging children to buy chocolate in return for sports equipment. Other confectionary companies use mobile phones and computers as the battle for profits moves into the playground. Cadbury's is caught in a new front line that pitches the future of the nation's health against the profits of some of the world's largest companies. It has spawned a whole sector of the marketing industry whose sole purpose is to sell to children.”
Conclusion
The trend is clear. The obesity debate is accelerating and shows no signs of abating. The issue is a global one, it is a societal problem, and consumers, companies and governments have to act responsibly and galvanize themselves to address the issues of obesity, diet and exercise.
But just in case you are feeling peckish … a quote from a U.S. journalist in the Turlock Journal headlined "All this talk about diets makes me want a cheeseburger: Is it just me or is this whole diet craze starting to work in reverse? After watching commercial after commercial of low carb, no carb, don’t you just want to get into your car and drive down to McDonald’s and Super-size something really bad?" |
