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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Weighty Issue
Aired July 02, 2003 - 05:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now a weighty issue. Is one of the world's largest companies really serious about tackling the problem of America's bulging waistline?
CNN's Bill Tucker looks at the plan at hand for Kraft Foods.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Is fat the next tobacco? Is the company that owns one of the world's largest cigarette makers and one of the world's biggest food producers worried? Maybe.
All they will say for sure is that they're worried about obesity. The company didn't hold a single news conference, didn't make a single executive available for comment as they put out an announcement of global initiatives to fight obesity. To do that, Kraft will stop increasing single portion sizes, provide more nutritional information on labels. The company will cut the fat and sugar content and it will fund educational programs to help kids make better food choices.
Also out, Kraft marketing in in school vending machines.
DR. JONATHAN WAITMAN, NEW YORK WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER: I think that this is definitely somewhat paternalistic, that the industry is taking responsibility in influencing what children eat. But we've gone the other path and what we have is more obese children and more children with diabetes. So something has to change.
TUCKER: Nutritionists like the promises, but have a wait and see attitude. If the guidelines sound familiar, they are. Just take a look at the global tobacco settlement, where cigarette companies agreed to stop marketing to children and fund educational programs about choices.
Some in the legal community are wondering if the move by Kraft is also an attempt to get out in front of any lawsuits over obesity.
JACK COFFEE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: One of the oldest doctrines in the American common law is that if a plaintiff is also negligent, along with a defendant, then his contributory negligence bars any recovery. In other words, if you're both at fault, neither can recover from the other.
TUCKER: In other words, you can't say we didn't tell you.
(on camera): But perhaps this is being too cynical. Kraft's own voluntary deadline is to begin implementing these changes next year and to complete the initiatives over a two to three year period.
Bill Tucker, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we'll more on the Kraft plan and on America's obesity problem in our next hour in our Breakfast With Daybreak segment with nutritionist Lisa Drayer.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 2, 2003 - 05:13 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now a weighty issue. Is one of the world's largest companies really serious about tackling the problem of America's bulging waistline?
CNN's Bill Tucker looks at the plan at hand for Kraft Foods.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Is fat the next tobacco? Is the company that owns one of the world's largest cigarette makers and one of the world's biggest food producers worried? Maybe.
All they will say for sure is that they're worried about obesity. The company didn't hold a single news conference, didn't make a single executive available for comment as they put out an announcement of global initiatives to fight obesity. To do that, Kraft will stop increasing single portion sizes, provide more nutritional information on labels. The company will cut the fat and sugar content and it will fund educational programs to help kids make better food choices.
Also out, Kraft marketing in in school vending machines.
DR. JONATHAN WAITMAN, NEW YORK WEILL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER: I think that this is definitely somewhat paternalistic, that the industry is taking responsibility in influencing what children eat. But we've gone the other path and what we have is more obese children and more children with diabetes. So something has to change.
TUCKER: Nutritionists like the promises, but have a wait and see attitude. If the guidelines sound familiar, they are. Just take a look at the global tobacco settlement, where cigarette companies agreed to stop marketing to children and fund educational programs about choices.
Some in the legal community are wondering if the move by Kraft is also an attempt to get out in front of any lawsuits over obesity.
JACK COFFEE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: One of the oldest doctrines in the American common law is that if a plaintiff is also negligent, along with a defendant, then his contributory negligence bars any recovery. In other words, if you're both at fault, neither can recover from the other.
TUCKER: In other words, you can't say we didn't tell you.
(on camera): But perhaps this is being too cynical. Kraft's own voluntary deadline is to begin implementing these changes next year and to complete the initiatives over a two to three year period.
Bill Tucker, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we'll more on the Kraft plan and on America's obesity problem in our next hour in our Breakfast With Daybreak segment with nutritionist Lisa Drayer.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
