332 Diet and Health
advertising in magazines, newspapers, radio, television and billboards. Some exam-
ples of expenditures by specific companies are given in Table 14.1. In 1999
McDonald’s spent $627.2 million, Burger King $403.6 million, Taco Bell $206.5
million and Coke and Diet Coke $174.4 million on direct media advertising. Even
small products have impressive advertising budgets, as illustrated by expenditures
of $117 million for Wrigley’s chewing gum and nearly $80 million for M&M
candies.^22 For every dollar spent that ‘measured’ way, the companies spend another
two dollars on discount incentives – for example, coupons for consumers and ‘slot-
ting fees’ for retailers to ensure space on supermarket shelves. In total, food com-
panies spent more than $33 billion annually at the turn of the century to advertise
and promote their products to the public. Most of this astronomical sum is used
to promote the most highly processed, elaborately packaged and fast foods. Nearly
70 per cent of food advertising is for convenience foods, candy and snacks, alco-
holic beverages, soft drinks and desserts, whereas just 2.2 per cent is for fruits,
vegetables, grains or beans.^23 Figure 14.4 illustrates the disproportionate distribu-
Source: Courtesy Elizabeth Pivonka, ©Produce for Better Health Foundation, Wilmington, DE
Figure 14.4 The Produce for Better Health Foundation, a government–industry
partnership to promote consumption of fruits and vegetables, created this ‘food
marketing’ pyramid to illustrate the disproportionate expenditure of advertising dollars
in comparison to dietary recommendations