Seeking solutions to obesity: issues surrounding obesity—from its causes to consumer and industry perspectives to possible solutions—were discussed at a recent conference

Prepared Foods, Oct, 2004 by Lauren Swann

"The obesity finger-pointing is at things that have always been here. Sugar-coated cereals and fast food were there before the obesity epidemic, so why blame them now?"

Such were the provocative insights that provided some of the highlights to "Obesity: Understanding Issues, Seeking Solutions," a Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia) Erivan K. Haub School of Business national conference held June 4, 2004. There, a panel of industry experts addressed recent findings on the causes of childhood obesity, food industry challenges, litigation, consumer and industry perspectives and, most importantly, solutions.

"What's different is that women left the home and went to work--there's been a change in home and family meal patterns," asserted Ed Slaughter, director, advertising and trends research, Rodale Inc. (Emmaus, Pa.), as he presented findings from new, unpublished telephone interviews of 700 nationally sampled parents and 372 kids aged ten to 17. The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates (with offices in Washington and Princeton, N.J.) earlier this year.

The causes of obesity are less clear for children than for adults--there is no strong correlation between diet quality and the overweight. Gender, age and socioeconomic comparisons for weight reveal that:

* Girls are doing better than boys,

* Older teens better than younger and

* The affluent better than the less fortunate.

Yet attitudinally, kids do not connect being obese to health problems. Overweight kids are least likely to make the association.

The survey also revealed that diets tend to have too much fat and too little fiber and that eating breakfast correlates with better diets. Overall, boys" diets are worse than girls', and at 15-17 years, diets are poorer but body weights are healthier.

Yet, while soda consumption and last food correlates with poorer diets, there is a weak, if any, relationship to the likelihood of being obese. Most notably, few kids have good diets along with regular exercise.

Parental influences that are likely to lead to healthy weights include:

* Meals prepared at home.

* Parent exercises with child and

* Parent models behavior.

There is also a much greater likelihood that the child is obese when there is an overweight parent.

Although the survey results indicate kids are "highly active," they also have "lousy" diets. Yet, diet and exercise are poor predictors of obesity and few kids have a genuinely healthy lifestyle--something that is a good predictor of healthy weight.

Most importantly, Slaughter stressed that while the prevalence of obesity is up 250% among kids, we should keep in mind that most kids--71%--are not, in fact, either overweight or at-risk.

Covering the challenges to industry and policy perspectives, Nancy Childs, professor of food marketing at the university. cited the April 2003 JP Morgan Equities report that ranked food companies by "obesity foods" and risk, noting that Wall Street share prices may be vulnerable when company profits rely on fatty and sugary foods. These are likely to be the subject of future regulation, and because more regulation lowers profit, the risk of litigation increases and global vulnerability also increases. However, these same companies are also best able to capitalize on a health opportunity.

Regulatory Considerations

Government policy solutions that are anticipated to be implemented over time include industry incentives in the formulation and promotion of new products; education of consumers involving advertising information and alliances to change behavior: and market rewards for those disciplined to keep slim. There are also a number of considerations potentially impacting food labeling. (See chart "Label Considerations to Come?")

The FDA also recommends guidance for developing drugs to treat obesity and working cooperatively with other government agencies, non-profit organizations, industry and academia on obesity research. "Obesity will take center stage over chronic disease," Childs asserted. "Legal vulnerabilities will drive product portfolio decisions and retailers will be an obstacle if they are not accountable," she said.

Relating insights about the legal landscape and obesity, litigation, David Eggert, esquire, partner in the law firm of Arnold and Porter (Washington), noted that activists sometimes use litigation to achieve what they could not within the democratic process, leading to higher liability insurance coverage for companies based on the fat content of their foods. Attorneys have rallied in response--their first conference about obesity/tat litigation was so overbooked that they had to change the venue. Eggert pointed out that litigation is only one facet of the approach, that part of an activist agenda taps into broader public concerns that rely on the media, economic pressure, legislation and regulation and attempts to substitute the concept of choice with victimization and neutralize it with addiction.

To address the food industry response, Robert Doyle, senior vice-president of the Healthcare Solutions Group of Information Resources Inc. (IRI, Chicago), presented data that shows spending is about the same for a normal or overweight household, though different foods are purchased.