The power of marketing is evident in the $10 billion dollar bottled water industry. On the outside you see a pristine mountain glacier and on the inside, “tap water” from Greenville, Tennessee. That’s the case for “Glacier Clear Water,” but we shouldn’t just pick on them. The situation is similar for many bottled water products.
So is bottled water a better tasting, healthier, and safer product than your municipal water supply (i.e., tap water)? Numerous scientific studies have been completed and the conclusions are clear.
Not too long ago, ABC’s television show “20/20” did a piece on the topic.
The ABC reporters were told by The International Bottled Water Association to talk to Yale University School of Medicine’s Dr. Stephen Edberg, so they did. Dr. Edberg agreed that bottled water is no better for you. “No, I wouldn’t argue it’s safer or not safer.” He also said, “I wouldn’t say it’s healthier than tap water.”
So why do people repeatedly pay 500 times more for bottled water. It’s all about marketing and a very gullible, uneducated consumer.
Want more proof? Read any of the following articles and you’ll be convinced.
UC Berkeley Bottled Water Article – Wellness Newsletter. In addition to this bottled water article, UC Berkeley did a nice piece on “Chocolate as Health Food?” Yeah, it’s another marketing ploy and the Mars candy company is leading the way with their CocoaVia bar ad campaign.
If you’re a chocolate lover, which I am, enjoy chocolate more for pleasure than as a health food. If you want higher levels of the beneficial flavonoids found in chocolate, choose dark chocolate that contains a high cocoa content not processed with alkali (you don’t want “Dutch” cocoa). Better yet, eat more fruits and vegetables, which are still the best source of flavonoids in your diet. Also, they contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber you won’t get by eating chocolate. The best of both worlds – chocolate covered strawberries!