Healthwashing: Shame on Kellogg's for 'immunity' claims on kids' sugary cereals

I'm exhausted from spending the past 60+ hours caring for my H1N1-infected 5-year old. The scary high fever (with added hallucinations), the aches and pains, the vomiting and subsequent dehydration -- he's had it all. Happily, he now seems to be on the road to recovery. But as I was slopping together some dinner last night, I heard Brian Williams share the blood-boiling news that Kellogg's has been promoting 'added immunity' on its sugary cereals like Cocoa Krispies, Rice Krispies and Frosted Crispies. The claim first started appearing on the cereals last spring when H1N1 was ramping up. Kellogg's is being criticized for capitalizing on parental fears. Ya think?

What Kellogg's has done is add more vitamins to its sugary cereals -- vitamins A,B,C and E -- which are thought to help support the immune system. I liked what one person said on NBC last night, that you could spray a pile of sawdust with vitamins and make the same claim. In this article, a food policy analyst stated, "It simply defies logic to think that spraying on some vitamins and minerals to a cereal that's otherwise almost 40 percent of its weight in sugar makes a healthy product. It just doesn't add up."

Pimping junk food as being healthy is certainly nothing new, BUT IT'S WRONG. The sad fact is that there are a lot of people who take manufacturer claims at face value. They don't do the research (and there could be many understandable factors for that) and they aren't getting the information, so they depend on familiar brand names to help them navigate their nutritional needs. Shame on you, Kellogg's, for exploiting your customers.

Many holistic health practitioners (and MDs, too) believe that eating a lot of refined sugar actually depresses the immune system, making you more susceptible to illness. I did a little research (yep, even sleep-deprived I'm a little crazy) on what does actually boost the immune system. If you're inclined, this article from Harvard is pretty interesting. They say that there is no scientific proof that lifestyle can enhance immunity, though healthy lifestyle choices are encouraged (eating whole foods, exercise, drinking water, getting plenty of sleep, etc. -- hey, it can't hurt, right?) Some folks swear by supplements, vitamins, echinacea, zinc, etcetera, and I like to think a daily spoonful of lemon-flavored cod liver oil with extra vitamin D is helping to keep my system in balance. But it doesn't sound like there's much of anything (except the vaccine or living in a bubble) that can protect you from H1N1 or other viruses or diseases.

Bottom line: be leery of health claims associated with junk food, or any processed food for that matter. Stay well, EnviroFriends. Wash your hands, keep hydrated, stay home if you feel rotten, and make good choices in the cereal aisle (or avoid it altogether). Now I'm off to go snuggle with my boy!