Obesity

Why Did KFC Cross the Road? (Because PR Was On The Other Side)

by Jonathan Rosenblum — November 10, 2006 - 11:38am

When KFC crowed on October 30, 2006, that it was planning to ban transfats in its U.S. fried chicken, the company had a PR machine behind it ready to score a news hit in one of the nation's fast food capitals, New York City.

Main Source: 
PR Week, November 6, 2006 (sub req'd)

Restaurant Industry Can't Stop Trans Fat Grease Fire

by Jonathan Rosenblum — November 1, 2006 - 10:11am

New York City, with the support of Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg, aggressively is moving forward to ban trans fats from restaurants--the stuff that says “hydrogenated” before the word oil in fast foods, snacks and many other processed and restaurant foods. Other cities are contemplating similar action.

Main Source: 
The New York Times, October 31, 2006

Disney's Healthy Food Marketing Plan a Fantasia?

by Jonathan Rosenblum — October 25, 2006 - 8:49am

On the very day that Walt Disney Company announced that it would limit future food marketing deals to brands that provide healthy food products to kids, there was Kellogg's sugar-crazy Tony the Tiger (again) welcoming kids to Disney's website. Is the company, then, not "Greeeaat!" for its plan to limit calories, fat, saturated fat and added sugars to any product the Disney name promotes?

Main Source: 
Alternet, October 19, 2006

New Zealand Police End McDonald's School Marketing Program

by Bob Burton — October 21, 2006 - 5:12am

New Zealand Police have terminated McDonald's sponsorship of a road safety program in schools and pre-schools because it was inconsistent with their policy banning corporate sponsorship.

Main Source: 
New Zealand Herald, October 19, 2006

Ex-FDA Commissioner Turned Lobbyist Pleads Guilty

by Bob Burton — October 20, 2006 - 5:19am

The former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Lester Crawford, has pleaded guilty to breaching conflict of interest rules. Crawford and his wife held between $188,000 and $336,000 in shares in four companies that he was required to have sold, under FDA rules.

Main Source: 
Washington Post, October 17, 2006

FCC Names Obesity/Food Marketing Task Force

by Jonathan Rosenblum — October 4, 2006 - 10:43am

Citing "a public health problem that will only get worse unless we take action," Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin announced a joint task force on child obesity.

Main Source: 
Associated Press, September 27, 2006

McDonald's Chews Fat with "Independent" Obesity Researchers

by Jonathan Rosenblum — September 26, 2006 - 3:42pm

When previously spotted pitching in to help the cause of "independent" research involving its products, McDonald's Corp. asked a Connecticut nun to quickly issue an unfinished report about farm workers in order to help the fast food giant fight off a fair wage campaign by migrant tomato pickers.

Main Source: 
Reuters, September 13, 2006

Local Activism Can Help Fight Big Food PR

by Jonathan Rosenblum — September 20, 2006 - 9:37am

While federal law provides only minimum guidelines for healthy school meals (and snack foods and branded beverages proliferate in school vending machines), state-based activism has the potential to push standards higher. That's the cautionary message delivered by food marketing critic Michele Simon at last week's 29th Annual National Food Policy Conference.

Main Source: 
Informed Eating Blog, September, 2006

As School Doors Open, Food and Beverage Industries Rush In

by Jonathan Rosenblum — September 15, 2006 - 2:57pm
  • Topics: Obesity, Children, Marketing

    • Ah, the sounds of School Year 2006-2007: the clatter of coins going down the pop machines to let loose a POWERade or an aspartame-sweetened diet soda -- maybe even a bottle of juice or milk. The rip of a new box of "reduced-sugar" Fruit Loops (or Frosted Flakes or Apple Jacks) at breakfast.

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