Marion Nestle Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, New York University

Website: www.foodpolitics.com

Twitter: @marionnestle

Food Politics: Personal vs. Social Responsibility

FOOD SYSTEMS: Production to Consumption

AGRICULTURE FOOD NUTRITION PUBLIC HEALTH

Eat Less

Move More

Eat Fruits and Vegetables

Don’t Eat Too Much Junk Food

Enjoy!

Obesity Fear Frenzy Grips Food Industry

Why Coke's Creative Chief Esther Lee Isn't Alone in

Fearing FTC, Critics

"Our Achilles heel is the discussion about obesity…It's gone from a small, manageable U.S. issue to a huge global issue. It dilutes our marketing and works against it. It's a huge, huge issue.“ --Advertising Age, April 23, 2007

Activity

Inactivity

Calories per person per day 1980s Now Change

Food supply 3,200 3,900 + 700

Dietary intake 1,900 2,100 + 200

Reality ?

NYT 11-9-05

Deregulation: agriculture

Available calories per person per day, 1910-2000 Increased Competition

3,900

~3,200

USDA/ERS

Waste

Deregulation: Wall Street “Shareholder Value Movement”

7-24-06

…Companies must sell more to grow

Competition !

Also Health claims Dietary supplements FDA authority, funding

Deregulation: food marketing:

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Number of Large-Size Portions Introduced

40

55

70

Percent Overweight

3,000

3,500

4,000

Calories/Capita/Day

Staples

Bed Bath & Beyond

Duane-Reade

Compare: Salad = ~$5.00

Low prices

Processed

Fresh

Food Companies

Do Nothing Deny Change Products Fight Back

Advocacy Regulations Lawsuits Wall Street

Health claims Functional foods Self-endorsements

Lobby Attack advocates Blame inactivity Blame personal choice Co-opt critics

Food & Beverage Advertising, 2011: > $16 Billion

$51 Ad Age June 2012

$267

$35

$113

$42

$ Millions

J Consumer Research

2007

Industry goals vs.

Public health goals

2-9-10

School food Diet principles Meal standards Nutrition standards Encourage healthy; discourage unhealthy

2011

Limits starchy vegetables to 2 servings / week Requires at least ¼ cup tomato paste to count as a

vegetable serving

2007 2009

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

Authorizes USDA to set nutrition standards for all school foods

January 2012

Food companies spent >$5.6 million to lobby against the proposed rules.

“No funds may be used to require crediting of tomato paste and puree based on volume.”

11-18-11

School Meal Calorie Standards

K – 5: 650 6 – 8: 700 High School: 850

“No Hungry Kids Act”

“President Obama and his administration continue to find ways to develop the nanny state. If they have found a way to invade the lunch tray of the youngest members of our society, what's next? The new regulations are a one-size-fits-all encroachment of our liberties.”

May 30, 2012

The Default

Attack the science

Attack the critic

July 2, 2012

Social media Radio and TV ads Airplane banners Petitions Tee shirts Movie videos

Mountain Dew + NY Art Dep’t, 9-12

Owned by PepsiCo

“Building a challenger brand with modest resources is already a daunting task…The ban would create additional barriers to beverage innovation.” WSJ 7-23-12

PepsiCo, 2011 $29 million

Soda taxes

http://www.fit-for-life.org/index.html

Median income: $23 K Unemployment: 11% Black, Hispanic: 80% High soda High obesity

Richmond, CA

Richmond Soda Tax Initiative, 2012

Contra Costa Times Aug 23, 2012, Oct-7-2012

As of October 7 $ 2.2 Million $25,293

Ratio 87/1

Paid for by the Community Coalition Against Beverage Taxes, with major funding by the American Beverage Association, Strategic Advocacy Fund Committee, and supported by thousands of Richmond residents, labor and businesses against unfair taxes.

Richmond cannot force the American Beverage Association to comply with campaign- disclosure rules (First Amendment)

Change in Total Volume of Carbonated Soft Drinks Consumed

Between 2002 and 2007

Global Trends

Euromonitor. Global soft drinks: fınding value in carbonates.

London: Euromonitor, 2008

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

US Australasia WesternEurope

Asia Pacific Middle Eastand Africa

LatinAmerica

EasternEurope

% c

ha

ng

e in

vo

lum

e o

f so

ft d

rin

ks c

on

su

me

d, 2

00

2-2

00

7

Profits almost doubled on overseas beverages

NYT 4-18-12

Led by consumption in India, where volume soared 20 percent.

WSJ 6-27-12

Personal responsibility: Opt out !

Food, not products

Smaller portions

Buy local, sustainable

Grow your own food

Cook at home

Teach kids to cook

Agriculture Farmers markets Urban farming Local farming Sustainability Food safety Farm supports

Social Responsibility: Get Political !

Public Health Schools Neighborhood access Safety net Marketing to kids Food labels Campaign laws Wall Street

Democracy in action: Join the food

movement !