Just how close is the connection with corporations trying to do the right thing and corporations trying to market their product? It’s no lie that in the past few years funding for both schools and programs related to healthy kids have suffered serious budget cuts. Wanting to keep their vital services going, many of them have had to reach out to organizations with deep pockets to form financial partnerships. These partnerships with interests such as Coke and Pepsi also bring great marketing experience and cultural affluence to Health campaigns which have used their talents to help generate health awareness content and events.

Yet, this same cultural influence is used to market their products; and it would be difficult to dispute that these products that negatively impacted our children’s obesity rates. Is it really possible for organizations to promote their message about healthy choices right next to a Coke or Pepsi label?

These questions are being debated all across the country and even in our local King County area. Here in Washington state we are not comfortable having our kids as the targets of marketing, but at the same time we reduce funding in schools to such a degree that it converts our schools as unwitting marketers, as they desparately sell candy and soda to raise money for healthy activities (like competitive and non-competitive sports).

Recently, an article in the Chicago Tribune delved deeply to understand the nature of and the true costs of these relationships. We encourage all of our SFS friends to take a look and decide what you think for yourselves.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-coke-pepsi-health-20120205,0,5935162,full.story