Ah, infant formula companies. Gotta love 'em. They are so similar to cigarette companies in how they market their product.
Somehow, Enfamil determined I am pregnant and invited me to join their special "club" to get free stuff. Because I love getting free stuff they cannot then give to anyone else, and because I am always curious to find out what their latest tactics with expectant mothers are, I signed on up (and willsign up for all the other brands' "clubs" as well)
This is the questionnaire they gave me to fill out.
Note the language about breastfeeding. It sounds pretty sacrificial, doesn't it? "Owe it" to "try" .... Sheesh.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
ENFAMIL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EXPECTANT MOMS
Regardless of how you plan to feed or are currently feeding your baby, please check the box that describes how much you agree or disagree with the following statements.
6. I feel I owe it to myself and my baby to give breast feeding a try
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
7. I always knew I was going to formula feed
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
8. Formula feeding is the right choice for me
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
9. Once I find a formula that works for my baby I will stick with it
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
10. I would use any free samples of infant formula even if they are not my regular brand
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that.
About Me
Blogs I Like to Read
- Amy's Very Cool Homeschooling Family
- Ann Douglas
- Blogging Baby
- David Rhoden
- Domestic Psychology
- First Impressionist
- Jonathan Hickman
- Lemuria Books
- Mamas Ink
- Marrit Ingman
- Martini Made
- Meagan Francis
- Mo's Journal
- Remembering Ward
- Suburban Turmoil
- The Vol Abroad
- This Woman's Work
- Women's Health News
- Zygote Daddy
Good Stuff on Being a Parent/Family Life
Books I"ve written/contributed to
Blog Archive
-
▼
2006
(1052)
-
▼
October
(58)
- sadness
- :-(
- complications
- i want to interview you!
- preparing for halloween at our house with the cousins
- first visit to midwife
- Happy Whore-O-Ween
- looking for recipes...
- the worst kind of pain for parents?
- very interesting new review of what constitutes "n...
- the attachment parenting murderess
- happier
- what about these names?
- being married
- pat tillman's brother speaks out
- purity favors
- wilco in concert - gratis
- i have a weird name
- there is something very, very wrong here
- do i owe you a book?
- The Score: How Childbirth Went Industrial
- disco girl and disco pony
- forgetting pregnancy
- babynames redux - the boy dilemma
- one day, she'll be president
- MamPop
- more wedding photos
- purpose? monkeys!
- dooce.com & opening up about personal life on a blog
- baby's got a bad, bad name
- link between TV and autism?
- misogyny and porn culture
- david sedaris and babysitters
- let the fun begin
- betsy & baby nick
- newborns and diapers
- funny john mayer
- large families as status symbols?
- ruminations on the beginning of pregnancy
- a disturbing adoption story
- current listening
- fast work R us
- the republicans are in big trouble...
- current listening
- family over time
- real men love feminists
- 15 years
- life's end
- current listening
- john mark karr
- computers and kids
- real christian compassion
- swapping size 0 models for size 20 models on the r...
- your favorite baby names?
- blue
- conversation with elliot this morning
- how the public discourse on breastfeeding in this ...
- sans flavor
-
▼
October
(58)
22 comments:
I thought it not skewed one way or another. Pretty fair survey, IMHO
Let us just hope that all goes your way, and you don't have to use infant formula.
yeah really. can you imagine if Katie Granju had to eat all her words with a fork and use infant formula???
I didnt think it sounded biased and manipulative. yeah, they want to find out if you would switch to their product from another formula. not breast milk. duh.
I cannot even tell you how much I would savor every second if I found out Katie Granju had to use formula. pride cometh before a fall.
I think you're missing the point--what she posted *is* subtly skewed towards formula feeding. Read it again and substitute 'breastfeed' for each of the many times the word 'formula' appears.
And forgive me if I'm mistaken,but I *think* I read something here once about Katie using formula with one of her children.
oh but that was before she was "enlightened" and it was all those evil bad ole male doctors faults.
Oy. Katie, no doubt you've learned to ignore the trolls at this point... As a wordsmith by trade and talent, I'd have to call Enfamil on this one too. People like to pretend words aren't loaded. They are. They have a cumulative effect. Enfamil knows this, and I guarantee the wording of this survey was VERY carefully administered. Not necessarily for the impartiality of it either.
What's the deal with people hating on breastfeeding?
of course it's biased, it's from a formula company....
just like the beer commercials encourage "responsible" drinking.
that being said, maybe i'm missing something because i'm new, but i didn't find katie's post the least bit judgemental, just observant.
and btw, my daughter and i mutually decided to switch to formula after 12 weeks of very, very slow weight gain attempting to nurse. the one-schedule/system-fits-all licensed lactation consultant who the hospital referred spent more time teaching me to pump and supplement than to nurse, claiming nipple confusion is a myth. next time i'll listen to my mom and consult the LLL and say no to the hospital-recommended lactation consultant. (to be fair, there were multiple factors that contributed to our breastfeeding difficulty, and i know there are very good lactation consultants out there somewhere. marketing by the formula companies had very little to do with my final decision.)
the reason it sounded biased was because of the source. was it manipulative? maybe, but less than certain proponents of parent-directed feeding approaches whose false teachings are inapplicable when a baby has difficulty nursing well.
so breast feed already you were at a formula web site what are you expecting? they are selling a product not doing community service
It's overtly skewed toward formula feeding. Nowhere does it say "I always know I was going to breast feed," and "Breast feeding is the right choice for me." And why wouldn't the company want to know this, so they can try to reach the breastfeeding market also?
"yeah really. can you imagine if Katie Granju had to eat all her words with a fork and use infant formula???"
Aw, you've never read a word she's written.
I know, I know. Don't feed the trolls.
Well, since you only posted the last half of the survey, I cannot form an opinion about whether the survey is skewed or not. The last half does not appear to be skewed against breastfeeding.
Come on, guys! Of course, it's skewed toward formula. If I'm a car dealer who sells Hondas, why would I talk up Fords in my advertising? Why wouldn't I do everything within my power to sway you toward my product.
Katie: if WATE got better Nielson ratings and was overall, in your opinion, a better news station than WBIR, would you voice that opinion in your blogs? Probably not... WATE doesn't pay you, do they? Breastfeeding doesn't pay Enfamil, and they are under no obligation to tout it.
Yes, they are selling a product. But doctors and hospitals who are supposed to be 'selling' better health, should not let these baby formula companies into their treatment options. Or they should be honest. "Look enfamil is selling a product they want you to get hooked on. Then when it's too late for you to go back to breast, you'll be stuck using their product. They provide this stuff, but I'm not advising that you use it unless you find it necessary to do so. If you do find it necessary I will help you find the product that is healthiest." But how many doctors/hospitals do this?
Instead they are wittingly or unwittingly promoting the product the same way the company does. People rely on their healthcare providers to give them good advice, not help sell product!
I'm not even pregnant but in shopping for a gift for a new mom I signed up with a fake version of my name - just to see how much free stuff/junk mail one such "offer" would generate.Tons is the answer. I have rec'd 6 free cans of formula- 3 diapers, many many coupons and other offers.
The post wasn't about what doctors/hospitals should do, it was about the verbage that formula companies use to sell their product. The debate here seems to be whether or not Enfamil is 'leading' the customer away from breastfeeding, and my response is simply 'duh'.
1. I feel I owe it to myself to give quitting smoking a try.
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
2. I always knew I was going to smoke.
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
3. Smoking is the right choice for me.
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
4. Once I find a cigarette that's right for me, I will stick with it.
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
5. I would use any free samples of cigarettes even if they are not my regular brand.
Completely Agree
Somewhat Agree
Slightly Agree
Slightly Disagree
Somewhat Disagree
Completely Disagree
I know, I know, specious comparison. After all, smoking is unhealthy and choosing formula over breastmilk isn't at all, right? Or is it that smoking is a choice we make for ourselves and choosing formula where it isn't otherwise needed is a choice we make for someone who can't make his/her own choices? Ah well, whatever. As long as someone is turning a profit, right?
t in hd:
I'm not clear on what you are saying. Are you saying that formula companies shouldn't be allowed to advertise because their products are unhealthy, just like cigarettes & booze?
I'm saying that we've placed heavy restrictions on the advertising of cigarettes and alcohol because of the damage they can potentially do but formula companies can target their potential customers right there in the hospital and the home. Formula has its place for babies who cannot otherwise get breastmilk. But why is it o.k. to market it to mums who have a chance of providing breastmilk for their children? Because it is a money maker? Well, if making money is a justification, we can justify any sort of behaviour, whatever the consequences. After all, when Nestle caused the deaths of so many children with their formula marketing practices in third world countries, they were only looking at their bottom line. Can't blame them for that.
The questionnaire Katie quoted was slanted towards formula-use, no doubt. But according to some posters here, that's fine since, after all, they are just in it for the money.
t in hd:
I think the key word in your post is 'potentially'. Alcohol and cigarettes do not 'potentially' do damage. Cigarettes are unquestionably damaging, and statistics show that more than 2 drinks per day will have negative effects on the liver. Not to mention the havoc that abuse wreaks on families and sometimes to complete strangers who are unfortunate enough to be on the road when someone decides to drive home under the influence. I can't recall any domestic violence reports in the news recently that were triggered by formula abuse.
Why is it ok to market any unnecessary product?
Dishwashers are a horribly wasteful use of energy & water. Dishwashing detergent is full of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Shame on Whirlpool for making a buck while they contribute to our degenerating society. Ready to give up your dishwasher?
Until restrictions are placed on the use of formulas & dishwashers, then Enfamil & Whirlpool have the right to advertise their products and yep, they have the right to make money. It's the consumer's responsibility to educate themselves as to the 'potential' dangers of the product. Buyer beware.
You just keep spreading the word about how dangerous formula is, and maybe someday you can put Enfamil out of business. Hope you do it before Whirlpool changes all our drinking water into toxic suds.
But the difference is, when you sick of the dishwasher you can still go back to washing dishes by hand. Once they have you 'hooked' on formula and your milk dries up, you can't go back.
and whats next? Mc Donalds? actually some people DO want to do this: so called "fat taxes" and all that. but where does it stop? personally if I was going to ask something to stop advertising it would not be formula, it would be tanning salons.
Post a Comment