I generally shun trite metaphors, but this news from Wendy's, the fast food outlet, really takes the cake! (Or should I say Frosty's?)
First a quick background is in order. If you've read my book SUGAR SHOCK!, you'll know that numerous medical studies conclude that consuming too many refined sweets and refined carbs could lead to obesity, cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Which is why cutting back on sugar is a good idea.
But a promotion at Wendy's restaurants in the Austin, Texas area came up with an alternate idea — eat more sugar to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), which is dedicated to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. an autoimmune disease that usually occurs in childhood.
Let's face it: Sugar isn't nutritionally ideal for people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
Even so, as this press release points out, Pisces Foods, which owns and operates 31 Wendy's restaurants in Austin, Texas, raised more than $72,000 this year for the JDRF by encouraging people to buy coupon books to get low-priced, sugar-loaded Frosty's. (Pisces Foods has donated $700,000 since 1996.)
Hey, I'm all for raising funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, but is behaving as "sugar pushers" the ethical, smart way to collect enough money for a donation?
Specifically, the Wendy's franchise collected $72,00 through a one-month promotion in which customers at participating Austin-area Wendy`s restaurants could purchase a Frosty Coupon Book for $1.
The idea was to get customers to down not one, but four of these sweet beverages. "Each book included four (4) coupons, good for either a Free Small Frosty or $1 off any Frosty product, including Wendy`s new Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosty and Frosty-Cino," the press release continues.
This next part saddens me: "Customers have been very excited about the value of the Frosty Coupon Book, where for only $1.00 they receive four (4) free Frosty`s. Proceeds from the sale of each coupon book went to the JDRF."
So why am I so aghast? Well, try this on for size. As a PDF from Wendy's website reveals, one small Chocolate Frosty contains 320 calories and 41 grams of sugar or about 10.25 teaspoons. And a large one has a whopping 510 calories and 79 grams of sugar or 19.75 teaspoons of sugar.
Now, to be fair, this isn't the first food company or beverage manufacturer to peddle sugary items to raise money for a charitable cause, but this one caught my attention, thanks to my buddy James Hahn, II, a fellow life coach and former sugar addict.
Golly, I just can't help but feel quite frosty about this irresponsible fundraising effort.