Disney comes clean

I rail against Mickey D’s (aka, McDonald’s) for fueling the nation’s obesity epidemic with all those sugary sodas and starchy carbs. But today the story is about the “other” Mickey. Or at least his parent company.

Disney put out a statement recently saying that all products advertised on Disney’s multiple media outlets (TV channels, radio stations, and Web sites) must now strictly comply with new nutritional standards. In fact, the famous mouse-ear logo will appear on certain products that meet these new dietary standards.

But I wouldn’t run to the supermarket on a mouse-hunt just yet. This sounds more like a marketing gimmick to me than a move toward real change.

You see, the products they’ll be endorsing as “Good for You–and Fun Too!” are still packaged, processed junk. The stuff that keeps kids overweight.

As parents and grandparents, you don’t need a big corporation to show you what’s right and what’s wrong. Common sense tells you that your kids and grandkids are better off without gimmicky products “endorsed” by clowns and cartoon characters.

When you’re in the grocery store, avoid the center aisles as much as possible. Shop the perimeter of the store. The produce section. The deli. The dairy case. That’s where you’ll find the REAL food.