Food Marketers Targeting the Sick

Aging baby boomers and rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and other health conditions have prompted food marketers to target those with chronic illnesses as the new must-reach demographic, according to a recent Associated Press article.

The food industry is now cashing in on the cultural shift from seeing health problems as lifestyles rather than diseases, realizing those lifestyles have a major influence on consumer spending habits.

For some, a healthier lifestyle has even become a matter of life and death. The "chronic-disease pitch," which gives good-for-you branding to everything from menu items to entire supermarket shelves, makes it easier for people who suffer from high cholesterol or diabetes to eat and shop. For instance, consumers are seeing more whole-grain breakfast cereals, foods we're supposed to be eating more of, displayed in special "heart-healthy" sections of cereal aisles.

And there's good reason for these efforts. According to the article, 70 million Americans suffer from heart problems, representing $71 billion in annual buying power, while the nation's nearly 21 million diabetics command roughly $21 billion. Plus, two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese.

Some critics argue, however, that the industry is trying to profit off of sickness, but American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Dawn Jackson Blatner says anything that makes it easier for consumers to make healthy choices is a good thing.

Companies eager to jump on the healthy bandwagon can seek certification from the American Heart Association, which rewards its Health Check Mark to items low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Thus far, 850 products from 100 companies have passed.