Soul to the devil

Photo: Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestley in The devil wears Prada 

The city council of Amsterdam sold its soul to the devil, a devil dressed up as a wolf in sheepskin. But even if the sheepskin is designed by Prada, the devil stays his evil old self. In their attempts to make healthier citizens, Amsterdam allied with Nestlé in healthy eating habits keeps slim campaign. They might as well hire Philip Morris for an clean lungs campaign.  The principle of the Amsterdam campaign of course is great, and yes, of course it will cost more money than the city can provide for. But to choose a sponsor whose most important products are (potential) fatteners? Nestlé’s bosses are laughing their butts of in their fancy offices. Healthy eating habits start right after birth: WHO, based on stacks and stacks of scientific literature, advises to breastfeed every child exclusively from birth up to six months of age and to breastfeed alongside suitable other foods up to or past the second birthday. In the illustration of these ‘’suitable’’ other foods, no broadly and fervently advertised Nestlé products are listed. Even more, based on the International Code for the marketing of breastfeeding substitutes a company like Nestlé isn’t even allowed to be involved at advising parents of young children on child feeding. Nestlé is one of the major players in the breastfeeding-substitutes market. No-breastfeeding is the first factor adding to overweight in children and adults. That doesn’t bother Nestlé, of course, because they’ll have slimming food products ready for then, and food products for lowering high cholesterols and diabetes specialty foods ready. Thus, Nestlé, as all infant formula producers, creates and entertains its own market from cradle to grave. It kind of reminds me to my childhood dentist who’d give out those delicious, sweet (no no-sugar back then), pink, huge Bazooka bubblegums when his child-customers had been good. Customer relations, even back then. And Amsterdam is happily going with it.
http://www.amsterdamcentraal.nl/archief/2011/7/5/borstvoeding-beter-dan-nestl
World Health Organization & UNICEF: Global strategy for infant and young child feeding. 2008. download: http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/9241562218/en/index.html
The international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes; Frequently asked questions; Uodated version 2008