Remember Make Room for Daddy, the fun, family TV show of the 1950’s? It opens with Daddy coming home from work where his lovely wife and two children throw themselves into his lap in their exuberance. In the opening commercial we see a dancing couple gliding to the song of the announcer: “In moments of pleasure when dancing is swell. Relax and enjoy yourself, light a Pall Mall”. “These cigarettes are the finest money can buy. Your appreciation has made them America’s most successful and imitated cigarette.”
Flip to the 90’s to a fast food joint called Shakey’s. The announcer is interviewing families who are laughing and having a blast. “We come here because it’s great for them, they can eat healthy, they have a lot of fun: it’s a treat” “We like American cars, American music, American food, and Shakey’s” “ It’s an American tradition. We’ll pass it down to the next generation.”
Can you spot the similarities? Fun, family, quality, relaxation, American.
It’s hard to believe now that in the 1950s cigarette ads ran with slogans to make their products seem good for consumers while knowing that in a few short years those smokers would be fighting for their lives. The devastation from cigarettes didn’t stop with the smokers. Many died, leaving widows and children behind. Does this sound like war to you?
But thankfully there are 3 strategies that are thousand of years old to defend yourself in a war that are still applicable today!
Sun Tzu in Art of War said that all warfare is based on deception. It is a matter of life and death, a road to safety or ruin.
1. Spot the deception in labels.
Knowledge is power and knowing the code words that food companies use to deceive consumers will allow you to crack the code and purchase nutritious foods. How would you feel if someone mugged you and stole all your money and gave you five dollars back? That is exactly what is happening when foods are fortified. The manufacturer bleaches, and strips all the healthy nutrients in the food in its natural state; then “fortifies “it with less than it took out!
2. Learn to defend against the deception of food companies.
By knowing the methods of fraudulent marketing, you can protect yourself and your family from phrases such as “healthy”, “lean” and “fortified” which are being used to dupe consumers into thinking that they are buying nutritious foods. Food companies are using ads as weapons these days, to ensnare and delude buyers.
3. Create a strategy for making better choices.
With each trip to the grocery store, you should have a list of meals to prepare. Going to the grocery store with “snacks” in mind might allow one to fall into the trap of buying chips and other non-nutritious snacks in bulk instead of in moderation.
All of us, as consumers, need to arm ourselves with knowledge and tactics to ward off misleading advertising. We also need to spread this knowledge to our kids so they won’t be nutritionally mugged and fall into the growing numbers of obese and unhealthy and obese children. Join the fight so that you and your family will never be nutritionally mugged again!
Naturally Balanced 