Annoying Yogurt Commercials

On the list of reasons I do not own a TV and prefer to download my 30-Rock through Netflix:

*Cable Bills
*Bad Reality TV
*Yogurt Commercials

Many of you who know me in person have heard me rant about how much yogurt commercials annoy me, especially the ones with women in them, which is basically the only kind of yogurt commercial you see anymore...

It's the way they target women by either exposing or alluding to various insecurities and then shove them this product specifically engineered for them so that they can indulge in their base desires or meet their embarrassing needs while still fitting into the socially-acceptable female behavior mold.

Don't even get me started on the whole "yogurt is the official food of women" thing. It's a shame because I love yogurt—the good, plain, real-food version—but it nags at me that there are these big companies out there trying to get me to buy more of it. The fewer calories, the better! Because all women are "supposed" to be on a diet, right?

I know that plain, nonfat or low-fat yogurt you buy in a big container doesn't sell as well as these cutely packaged, super-sweet weight-management products, but seriously, why can't we just treat yogurt as what it is—A nutritious food that fits very nicely within a balanced diet?

Here are a few commercials that especially tick me off:

Never mind

I feel kind of like a dope now for actually believing for a split-second that the FTC's December 15 forum on food marketing to kids and the proposal that I blogged about a few days ago might actually hold some promise. It never fails to amaze me how one source of media will paint a completely different picture from another. I guess during finals week I was a bit lazy about not checking various sources of important stories. Haha but at least finals are over now and I have no excuse!

If you've never read Marion Nestle's blog, Food Politics, or any of her books for that matter, I'd recommend having a look—I find what she writes eye-opening. I went back a few entries today and found some more specifics on what exactly the group proposal (which I posted about a few days ago) entailed.

I'd read that it proposed restrictions on saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, and sodium for foods marketed to children, but what I hadn't seen was what those limits were: 1 gram saturated fat or less per serving and not more than 15% of total calories; less than half a gram of trans fat per serving; no more than 13 grams of sugar per serving; and no more than 200 mg of sodium per serving.

You don't have to be a student of dietetics to see that there are a lot, a lot of unhealthy foods can still meet these guidelines. Not only that, but there's still a lot of discrepancy over what a serving size should be in the first place. Besides that, there's a whole slew of other hazy details complicating the matter. Talk about a mess. While I'm glad the issue is getting some attention (not that it hasn't been getting attention), it's disheartening to see some of the ways in which food companies get around regulations both in place and proposed.

Federal Group Seeks to Cut Food Advertising to Children

A federal group created by Congress is looking to restrict food marketing to children to include only foods that provide "a meaningful contribution to a healthful diet," according to their proposal. This group also wants to limit the advertising of foods and beverages high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, which they feel contribute to childhood obesity.

The recommendations this group is working on will be sent to Congress next year after a public comment period.

I would really like to see something like this go into effect. It drives me nuts how aggressively unhealthy foods are pushed on children, and it would be wonderful to see the government do something to curb that. What a concept.

Check out this Wall Street Journal article for more info.

Pouring on the Fat: Going Viral

Oh wow. This is disgusting and fascinating and I absolutely had to share:

Check out the video on YouTube. When I can figure out how to embed it here, I will!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F4t8zL6F0c

General Mills to Reduce Sugar in Cereal

About time! General Mills announced Wednesday that it plans to reduce the amount of sugar in 10 of their kids' cereals.

For example, the added sugars in Cocoa Puffs could reportedly be reduced by 25% of the original level and 18% off the current level along with an increase in whole grains and nutrients. Some other cereals that are said to be getting the same treatment are Trix and Lucky Charms.

Last year, Kellogg's reduced the sugars in some of their cereals such as Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, and Corn Pops, and Post also plans to retune some of their cereals this year as well. Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles are due for a makeover, apparently.

I can't help wondering just how they plan to reduce the sugar while retaining their token sweet flavor. While it's possible they can probably get by using less and counting on kids not to notice too much, I wouldn't be surprised to learn they're using some other kind of sweetener.

While sugary, low-fiber cereals aren't necessarily the best choices, they're better than a lot of other ready-to-eat foods kids might grab on their way out the door (aka, pop tarts, donuts), especially when consumed with milk. Unlike sugar, kids' and teenagers' diets are much lower in milk than they used to be.

Anyone hear about how the dairy industry's "Raise Your Hand For Chocolate Milk" campaign? I have mixed feelings about it. While it's true that some kids probably wouldn't drink pre-sweetened milk and any milk may be better than none, I don't think we should ascribe that belief to all children. I think this practice of marketing sugary products and other "kid" foods to children should stop. Kids are allowed to drink milk and eat real, whole foods that adults do.

That said, I did just make myself a soy-milk hot chocolate...Once in a while, a treat like that is nice—just a tablespoon of a high-quality organic mix that actually has real cocoa powder in it is all you really need to add. It's the artificial stuff we're telling our kids they like better than everything else is what I have a problem with.

On the other hand, I think that if schools get rid of chocolate milk, then maybe they should also get rid of sodas and sugary juices. While chocolate milk may not be as great a choice as regular milk, I think it's usually a better option than a drink that won't even give you any nutrients (aside from calories) with all that sugar.

Pay a Cent Per Calorie at KFC

A few days ago, KFC announced that it will featuring a "penny-per-calorie" holiday promotion. $3.95 gets you a gilled thigh and drumstick plus green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy—395 calories.

I'll believe it when I see it (not that I intend to sample—I've found myself in pescetarian mode lately), but I am glad to see a somewhat more healthy concept used as a come-on. 395 calories is a really decent-sized lunch, and it seems that the meal is pretty balanced. I'd like to see more retailers try this approach.

Read more here.

Have you seen these ads?

This controversial new subway ad campaign, aimed at encouraging consumers to choose beverages with less sugar, asks New Yorkers if they're "pouring on the pounds." The image depicts human fat flowing from a soda bottle. Tasty.

(Read more here)

On the one hand, I think a little shock value never hurts. On the other, the wording is a little bit over-the-top, in my humble opinion. However, trying to get the message across as succinctly as possible was probably a priority.

I've seen a lot of different reactions to this ad ranging from laudatory to condemning, and I have to say, I'm split.

While I'm generally not a fan of scare tactics, that this ad at least offers a suggestion of what to drink instead of sugary beverages is somewhat redeeming. Offering alternatives is key to helping people eat healthier rather than just telling them that what they're doing is bad. I think too many little battles on obesity target people's body image, setting the stage for emotional eating that perpetuates the problem.

I'd like to see more out there promoting overall health in general, but a lot of people feel that may not be "aggressive" enough. They may or may not be right. A part of me worries too, about young girls and women who will see the ad and internalize it too much, that it may fuel disordered eating of a different sort. Either way, all I mean is that while wake-up calls and gross-outs will get people's attention, you're not going to get very far telling someone they're a fat slob. You need to encourage them to make healthy choices.

Of course, a lot of people think there needs to be a glaring problem before you actually fix anything. I think that's the fundamental issue, really. In our country, we don't focus nearly enough of preventative health and living a healthy life in general.

It's a precarious balance, I realize, but I think this ad at least makes an attempt at balance, so I'm more or less okay with it. I'm just not looking forward to seeing it on my morning commute.