Yes, it’s true one of the major contributors to global obesity, Nestlé Corporation is sponsoring a program targeted at reducing childhood obesity in one of the poorest cities in the US -Newark, NJ. (25% of population is below poverty level) Keep in mind, Nestlé (Gerber/Beechnut) is the largest baby food and infant formula manufacturer / marketer on the planet with total sales of $30 billion/ year in North America alone! Can you say, “Conflict of Interest”?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303592404577361070078138812.html
On Feb. 11th, Mayor Cory Booker gleefully accepted a check
from Marilyn Knox of Nestlé Nutrition, USA for $100,000 sealing the fate of
these poor babies and children of Newark.
When the Mayor was filmed accepting Nestlé's check of $100,000.00, he
was standing in front of a background covered with Nestlé/ Gerber logos and the Nestlé's press
release had pop-up ads for formula, coupons, rebates, Baby Club etc.
http://newarknj.patch.com/articles/new-pilot-program-will-target-childhood-obesity-in-newark
So with Mayor Booker’s blessing, here is what Nestlé has
planned for Newark’s most vulnerable citizens at all 15 of the Family Success
Centers. First, Nestlé will provide
their own “nutritionists” to "promote, educate and support" breastfeeding
when in reality, formula feeding will be the focal point of instruction. Second, the promotion of healthy eating, endorsing
the use of home-made, whole, fresh foods for babies but in fact, they will
promote Nestlé prepackaged, processed baby foods, first and foremost. Also, Nestlé plans to set up peer counselor
programs (using the clients to market Nestlé products), hand out gifts and
samples “luring” the mothers in and making them dependent on Nestlé products. (formula
costs at least $200 a month/ baby -that is 14% of the per capita income of the
average Newark family!)
It is quite telling that in this posted job description for
the "Nestlé-Newark Now Family Nutritionist" there was no mention, at
all, of breastfeeding. http://shrp.umdnj.edu/current_students/career_rc/documents/NewarkcommunityhealtheducatorjobDescription.pdf
Nestlé strategically plans to take this program across the
country to other vulnerable US cities.
Nestlé's Infant Nutrition President and CEO Marilyn Knox, stated on a
YouTube channel press release, "we want to recognize Mayor Booker
specifically for not only what he is doing here, but the example of taking
Newark and turning it into actually an example, a role model to replicate in
other places ..."
http://www.mediajunkey.com/2012/02/15/nestle-ceo-marilyn-knox-speaks-about-innovative-lets-move-newark-program/
If you’re not convinced yet of Nestlé’s true agenda, allow Peter
Brabeck-Letmath, head of Nestlé S.A, to clarify, “Companies should only pursue
charitable endeavors with an underlying intention of making money for
investors.” Simply put, Nestlé will only
link its name to initiatives that will be profitable.
Source: Boston Herald “Nestlé
chief rejects the need to 'give back' to communities”, 9 March 2005.
It was clear to me
that Mayor Booker and these poor Newark families are just being used as a
"front" for the largest coup in US formula industry history!
That’s when I screamed, "Bad Move"! Surely, Mayor Booker is ill-informed, I
thought. Obviously, no one told him
about Nestlé’s appalling reputation of being one of the top 4 most boycotted
companies on the planet or the studies that show formula, bottle feeding and
early introduction of solid foods actually increase childhood obesity! The World Health Organization, (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, (the Code), endorsed by the US Government, was developed to try to curtail Nestlé's marketing practices http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf
The International Nestlé Boycott, started in the US in the
70's, attempts to put pressure on Nestlé to comply with the Code. Some people remember the Bottle Baby Scandal,
where Nestle was implicated when millions of babies in Africa died. Many people today think Nestlé has changed
their ways but they have not. Nestlé continues
their well-deserved, notorious reputation for aggressive and unethical
marketing including mislabeling/misrepresenting their formulas and baby foods
worldwide.
http://info.babymilkaction.org/pressrelease/pressrelease19apr12
Nestlé spends $4 million each year lobbying against
regulation and taxation of unhealthy food. This manipulation enables them to
continue manufacturing and marketing junk and confectionary foods that have
resulted in increasing world obesity rates.
http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000042332&year=2011
The Surgeon General's 2011 Call to Action for Breastfeeding
Report called for "all women to exclusively breastfeed their babies for
the first 6 months" and states “full-term infants have a 32% excess risk
of childhood obesity associated with not breastfeeding.” Action 6 (from her
report) states: "ensure that the marketing of infant formula is conducted
in a way that minimizes its negative impact on exclusive breastfeeding". http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdManatee/Pdf/Surgeon_General's_Call_to_Action_to_Support_Breastfeeding.pdf
Nestlé is setting themselves up as "The expert
nutrition educators" in the US and throughout the world. In the US, they have already partnered with
the AAP http://www.aap.org, USDA http://www.usda.gov
The Governor of
Michigan has given Nestlé the go-ahead to "educate" in medical
schools, hospitals and communities.
http://www.nestle.com/Media/NewsAndFeatures/Pages/Gerber-programme-child-obesity.
http://www.citizen.org/letter-to-snyder
So, after failed attempts to meet with Mayor Booker, I
created the petition, “Stop Newark /Nestlé Now!" on February 16, in an attempt
to stop this hypocritical partnership.
Petition link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-newark-nestle-now
This petition has
been a great educational tool, (around the world people are watching Newark /
Nestle and speakers at conferences are discussing what is going on, groups are
posting in their newsletters/blogs etc.).
We have signatures from over 2000 concerned people from 55 countries but
it has not encouraged Mayor Booker to cancel his partnership with Nestlé . He refuses to meet or communicate with any
of us including the thousands of people, who have written to him through Public
Citizen. L'Tanya Williamson, Director of Child and Family Well-being along with other advisors to the Mayor, also refuse to communicate about this issue. The NJ Health Commissioner, Mary E. O'Dowd, who supports breastfeeding, says she cannot stop the partnership because it is a donation to the City of Newark, while Governor Christie is differing back to the Commissioner. Neither the Surgeon General nor First Lady Michelle Obama has responded to our multiple pleas for help. Everyone seems to be “passing the buck” even though, it is obvious that this "donation" will negatively affect health, increase obesity and increase health care costs not only in NJ but across the country.
If you are concerned about Nestle being allowed to sponsor
programs targeted to reduce childhood obesity, please sign our petition and
spread the word! Contact your local politicians, health professionals, clergy
and media. We cannot let corporate money
be the determining factor in our fight for a brighter, healthier future for our
children. Immediate action is needed
before Nestle comes to your town.
