Pink Lady Fights Obesity

Pink Lady Fights Obesity. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. The old adage of "an apple a day" is taking on a whole new meaning. A new national effort trying to help fight childhood obesity is now being supported by Pink Lady America apples according to Alan Taylor, Pink Lady marketing director. TAYLOR: Being part of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation means that we'll be part of a program which addresses nutrition and obesity issues in the workplace and marketplace and in schools which is the key area we are interested in and it also opens us up to a whole bunch of other people who are involved in those areas which is always good for our growers. The coalition is made up of nearly 95 supermarket chains, restaurants, food and beverage manufacturers, trade groups, sporting goods stores and insurance companies. TAYLOR: The whole produce industry is involved in the nutrition aspects of their products. I mean we're the good guys and in this particular coalition there are some that probably wouldn't be considered the good guys but they want to be associated with companies, organizations, industries that produce nutritional foods so they've committed 20 million dollars, we've committed nothing. It's free for us and again that's something very good for our growers. The ultimate aim is to lower primarily childhood obesity by 2015. Taylor says there is a good deal of excitement over the Pink Lady apple. TAYLOR: In my initial contacts with a couple of them has been a very warm response. If you are a part of this team they want to talk to you and they want to talk to you about your product which in our case is a nutritional apple. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.