Diet Crazy
by Amanda Keegan
Turn on the television and you are guaranteed to view a commercial advertising the latest weight loss program or diet pill. Open the newspaper and you will find the most up-to-date research on trans fats and their health risks. Look at the cover of any tabloid or magazine and you will find articles revealing the most coveted celebrity weight loss secrets. Have we gone diet crazy?
It seems that in the last decade, Americans have become increasingly aware of the food that they are eating and the dangers of carrying around a few extra pounds. Not only has the media played off of this social obsession, but so have marketers across the world. The phrases "low-fat," "fat free," and "0g trans fat" glare at the average shopper as they make their way up and down the grocery store aisles. But one must wonder: is the food industry and media taking advantage of its weak-willed consumers by suggesting that their products will make them lose weight?
Over the past three years, I've slaved away countless hours working as a cashier (and now a customer service representative - quite the title) at a local grocery store. I've seen customers come through with the healthiest shopping carts, while other patrons have been, let's say, careless in their food choices. However, in the past three years, I have noticed a definite increase in the amount of diet friendly food choices available to shoppers as well as an obsession with Hollywood's hottest bodies and their diet secrets. Yet statistics continue to show that Americans really aren't shedding the weight that you would expect. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 66.3% of adults 20 and over are overweight or obese. While a national "get-healthy" trend has been started, it seems that the media and food industries have taken advantage the people that fall into those statistics by convincing them that their products will increase weight loss.
Dieters nationwide have struggled to beat the scale and the risks of heart disease and diabetes by lowering their intake of fatty foods and increasing their activity level. There's no doubt that the media has had a field day with this new health interest by consistently promoting lean, toned bodies in advertisements, television shows, and movies. Yet the fad and diet tips released by the media everyday often have minimal research to back them up. You've probably heard the slogan "Milk your diet! Lose weight!" which is part of a campaign that suggests that three servings of dairy per day may help you shed those extra pounds. In early May, the Federal Trade Commission placed restrictions on this national ad campaign, claiming that not enough research shows that dairy can lead to weight loss. This is a classic example of how the media can take advantage of dieters by telling them to increase their recommended dairy intake from two to three servings a day, increasing profit but not causing any real results in consumers. Essentially, the dairy industry made bank on millions of eager dieters who were quick to jump on the dairy bandwagon.
But the media isn't the only industry playing with the minds, and mouths for that matter, of dieting consumers. The companies that create the foods that make us fat has now decided to shrink their product portions and perhaps slightly alter them to make their snacks "healthier." Nabisco hit the diet world jackpot with its creation of the 100 calorie pack - a figure-friendly portion of our favorite snack foods: chips, cookies, and crackers. Other brands like Keebler, Yoplait, and Frito-Lay have also created 100 calorie packs for their products. While some of the lower calorie snacks taste just like the originals, such as Wheat Thins, which are a personal favorite, others pale in comparison, including Oreos, which are have become chocolate graham crackers with sugar on top rather than cream-filled cookies. Coca-Cola has even gone to great lengths to create a no calorie version of Coca-Cola Classic with its newest product: Coke Zero. Most recently, Entenmann's released 100 calorie Little Bites—brownies, cookies, muffins, etc. But since when did chips, cookies, and soda fit into a healthy diet?
Essentially, millions of people have been tricked into thinking that since their favorite snacks now come in healthier portions with fewer calories, these foods have magically become better for our bodies. This isn't exactly true. Josephine Wong, a registered nutritionist in Los Angeles, recently stated that, "Most people don't eat enough fruit, vegetables and high quality grains, and they fill up on starchy foods, animal protein and antinutrients such as refined sugars and colorants." According to this statement, these new "healthy snacks" really aren't so healthy. Like all junk food that we crave, these smaller portioned snacks still contain the sugar that we know and love. And just because diet soda has the word "diet" in it doesn’t make it good for our bodies. Food companies are making billions of dollars by charging consumers more money for less food with the same nutritional value as their other higher calorie snacks.
However, one company has boldly stepped forward by publicly recognizing the low nutritional value of their products and the need to make immediate change. The Kellogg Company has announced plans to re-work their nutritional guidelines of their cereals and other snacks, as well as their advertising. A lawsuit was recently brought against the company, claiming that Kellogg's was misadvertising their products and that many were not meeting guidelines for calories, fat, and other nutritional information, to young children. The Kellogg Company, also known for using cartoons and various characters to market their products to children, voluntarily chose to rework the components of their products to meet healthy nutritional guidelines and also to change the age group at which their advertising is geared toward. This means that you won't be seeing Toucan Sam advertising Fruit Loops on TV anytime soon unless Kellogg makes some healthy improvements in this popular sugary cereal. At least one company has recognized what their food is really made of and has admitted that it isn't nearly as healthy as we once thought.
The fact of the matter is that many consumers have fallen into weight loss traps by believing that lower calorie snack food can suddenly be a part of a healthy diet. However, the additives and sugar that are present in these foods have never been and will never be a part of a recommended diet. So next time you pick up those diet brownie bites, don't try to convince yourself that you are going to lose weight or that you are making a healthy decision. Although those mini brownies maybe better than the real thing, they still aren't offering you any nutritional value-they only satisfy a mere craving. Though it might be tough to stomach, we have to come to terms with the fact that fruits and vegetables will always outweigh snack foods, even if they are 100 calories or less.
Sources:
1. Martin, Andrew. “Kellogg to Phase Out Some Food Ads to Children.” New York Times.14 June 2007. 27 June 2007. <www.nytimes.com>.
2. "Overweight Prevalence." National Center for Health Statistics. 12 February 2007. 27 June 2007. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm>.
3. , Yurina. "Lose Weight with the Pyramid." La Opinion. Los Angeles, Calif.: Aug 17, 2006. Vol.80, Iss. 336; pg. 2B, 1 pgs. June 2007.
