Salt, Sugar, and Fat: Is It Cereal or Candy?

During the chapter the author explains to us how the use of sugar is applied to things such as breakfast. The cereal that we use every day can have twice as much as it should. Huge companies such as Kellogg’s use this idea of adding more sugar so they can have a huge profit.

John Harvey Kellogg wanted to cure “Americanitis”, which was the stomachache caused by the typical American breakfast. This breakfast consisted of sausage, fried ham, beefsteak, bacon, with whiskey and salt added on top. He decided to build a tiny health center that helped American improve their heath. In that center, he provided tips for healthy eating, and exercises. He did not allow fats, salt, or sugar in his clinic. In 1894, he took a trip to Denver, where he met an entrepreneur who invented a cereal made of shredded wheat. This inspired Kellogg to take this idea back home, and share with his brother, Will. Kellogg and his brother began to experiment, and created many cereals. They then met C.W. Post, and decided to collaborate and were eventually called themselves The Big Three. They invented 108 different brands of cereals. In the 1940s, they began adding a candy coating to the cereal. The Big Three controlled about 85% of the cereal market. The public’s enthusiasm for cereal grew drastically because women, who had children, had more time in the morning. Although convenience was the key to starting the day, the Big Three could not control the breakfast table without being finessed.

The cereal makers were really being questioned and criticized about what was actually being put in the cereals that they advertised. It also mentioned how that a third of the brands of cereals produced had sugar levels ranging up to an alarming 50 percent, which meant tha...

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...ement at all. Another example is the commercial for Apple Jacks which shows an energetic cinnamon stick and a grouchy apple racing to get to the cereal bowl. Complaints were made by the Better Business Bureau about how the commercial can make kids dislike apples.

Due to false advertising, I feel that certain food companies are being careless in trying to make people buy their products in order to make money in the quickest way possible. My only suggestions for this situation are either the companies to tell the truth about their products, or stop advertising completely. If the companies could spend more time researching the effects of their products, then they could make improvements to their foods or maybe find alternatives to the ingredients. That way people can make the right decisions in buying what is best for them and their children. Thank you for your time.