Interesting piece at Knowlege@Wharton about the obesity epidemic and marketers’ responsibilities. It’s really a fascinating area to watch, as of late.
“This is a very difficult issue,” says Wharton marketing professor Patti Williams. “In some ways, companies are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Consumers say they want healthier foods, but if you look at consumer behavior, many people choose unhealthy foods over healthy ones.” Indeed, a restaurant chain that recently tried to reduce the size of its portions was soundly blasted by its customers and has now decided to reinstate the original serving size. “How do marketers navigate their way through [things like this]?” Williams asks. “I think companies in general are sincere about wanting to offer healthier alternatives,” in part because with all the dire warnings about obesity, “they don’t have many other choices.”