October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and creating breast cancer awareness is great BUT this pinkwashing is ridiculous!
A California based organization shares what pinkwashing is:
Breast Cancer Action coined the term pinkwashing as part of our Think BeforeYou Pink® campaign. Pinkwasher: (pink’-wah-sher) noun. A company or organization that claims to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon product, but at the same time produces, manufactures and/or sells products that are linked to the disease.
Sarah Pope, the Healthy Home Economist doesn’t mince her words in her blog post “Komen (NOT) for the Cure: for the Cure: The Complete and Utter Pinkwashing of America” and nor should she. She says things like “pink propaganda”, “media stupidity”, “zombie like hypnosis that comes over people with regard to supporting the marketing bonanza” and “Breast Cancer Industry Month.” As far as I’m concerned she is spot on and this pinkwashing is ridiculous and totally out of hand! Do read her blog post above: she shares some shocking facts about Komen, saying they don’t want a cure because “Pinkwashing is far too lucrative.”
I am, quite frankly, flabbergasted by the whole commercialism of it. Also, so many of the products that have been “pinked” are part of the cancer problem in the first place.
Like sugary foods and fast food! You’re kidding me! Coke and cancer awareness!? What about cancer-causing toxins in makeup!?
The title of this paper says it all: Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes
“Only 5–10% of all cancer cases can be attributed to genetic defects, whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle. The lifestyle factors include cigarette smoking, diet (fried foods, red meat), alcohol, sun exposure, environmental pollutants, infections, stress, obesity, and physical inactivity.”
Here are some great resources that help with some of these lifestyle factors:
- Helyane Waldman’s book “The Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Nutritional Approach to Preventing Recurrence”
- Rebecca Katz’s “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery”
- Mira Dessy’s book “The Pantry Principle: how to read the label and understand what’s really in your food”
- Good quality grass-fed red meat from US Wellness Meats, instead of poor quality feed-lot meat
- Good quality wild salmon and other healthy fish from Vital Choice, instead of farmed fish
- Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Guide to Cosmetics and their guides to healthy cleaning products and GMOs, pesticides on produce and much more. As well as cancer, we know about the bad effects of pesticides on anxiety and depression. I also encourage you to take action: sign Breast Cancer Action’s petition to end pinkwashing once and for all via strong chemical regulations.
How about a green ribbon instead of a pink ribbon!? And please, let’s call it Breast Cancer Prevention and have a Race for Prevention instead of a Race for the Cure!
Which do you choose – pinkwashing for the cure or green for prevention?
Wow Trudy, thanks for enlightening us about “pinkwashing.” I had no idea and was one of the lemmings who followed the media messaging (right over the cliff!). I love your suggestion of focusing on Prevention vs. “cure”
Thanks Yvonne – it’s SO important to me that us women are NOT taken advantage of! and right now this is what is happening and it’s NOT ok! can you tell I’m mad about this!? 🙂
Trudy you are right on target. The amount of in-your-face marketing/pinking has gotten absolutely ridiculous. It’s like companies who produce products that contribute to breast cancer (and obesity in many cases) feel that they can buy forgiveness by becoming part of the pink brigade.
And sadly I think many consumers purchase these products because they’ve been lead to believe that they are “helping” the cause.
Rather than jumping on a campaign bandwagon I think it would be helpful if people would simply learn what’s really in their food (and their environment) and make appropriate choices.
Mira – I know, they are relying on our fear of cancer AND our natural desire to do good – but it’s total manipulation and it has to stop! I really think these company executives are laughing all the way to the bank!
Of course, your wonderful book, The Pantry Principle (mentioned in the blog), is going to help many people make appropriate choices so prevention becomes the norm!
I also see that the EWG has just come out with a new list: endocrine disruptors http://www.ewg.org/research/dirty-dozen-list-endocrine-disruptors
I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for helping spread the word; I know it takes courage on this issue especially!
Terri – thanks!! I appreciate the support and agree that this is a touchy subject but it does need to be said. I’m so glad you agree and I know everyone who eventually figures this out is as shocked and disappointed as we all should be!
Green for prevention! It is so important from pregnancy and throughout our lives – good and natural choices keep us healthy and help prevent many chronic illnesses and disease (they reduce the risk). And it’s upsetting that companies are profiting from selling poison – and in the name of the condition they are trying to “help.”
Thanks Julie! and yes, it’s so important that we start with prevention before babies are born!
I even saw a Facebook picture of a little baby being pinkwashed – she had a frown on her face and a cute little shirt with a big aaaah-factor message (in PINK of course): “please find a cure before I get boobies!” Whoever created that one was either shockingly manipulative or shockingly ignorant!
This “pinkwashing” has gotten way out of hand. Quite literally, it’s a marketing campaign for the mammography industry. Please remember folks, early detection is NOT prevention. Diet, lifestyle, assessing your own risk factors and doing something about them – THAT’s prevention!
Thanks Helayne! and thanks for the awesome book on breast cancer! I had not heard about the part about this being a marketing campaign for the mammography industry! wow! do you have some information or a link on this?
I found this awful 2012 post about the connection to marketing and promoting mammography! http://www.naturalnews.com/036711_Komen_for_the_Cure_mammography_fraud.html# – I wonder if there is something more recent?
And here is the link to the BMJ article http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e5132 (I’m trying to find the whole article and will share as I learn more)
Trudy
What I hate about all of this pink propaganda are the phone calls for donations. I have no problem telling the solicitor or anyone else that I would NEVER donate to this cause, as cancer is a lifestyle disease and there are safe, effective, and inexpensive cures out there for cancer that do not include the “treatments” from the cancer industry.
Hi Carolyn
Good for you! interesting about the phone calls for donations – I have not had a single one! now I’ll be prepared!
Trudy
Trudy, this is absolutely fascinating. I had never heard anyone describe “pink washing” before. However I’ve been fascinated by the plethora of pink everywhere. While I had only seen the good, breast cancer awareness, I had not thought of some of the promoters being cancer causers! Very thought provoking.
Mary Ellen – glad to provide some thought-provoking insight!
For a few years now I have not been a fan of the Komen organization – not because I had heard of the term “pinkwashing” but because I just felt like it was more about them than about preventing or curing cancer. But I felt like I was way in the minority and just kept my mouth shut since it was just my own opinion. I resent the “pink stuff” being crammed down our collective throats and feel like it has gotten way out of hand. I would rather just donate directly to a research organization or a prevention organization. I don’t need a blinged-out pink cupcake or car.
Thanks Sue – I’m sure there are many who also feel like you! and yes, now we know it’s more about them than about preventing or curing cancer
I prefer green for prevention. Why cure it if we can prevent it? Thanks for all of the resources!
Trudy –
As always, you are SPOT on!!
Another sad example of ingenuous marketing intended to take advantage of the public’s emotions. Boils my blood.
So good to see you speaking out against this and telling the truth!
Ditto what Sue Painter said…except I do like bling LOL
And I LOVE your idea of a Race for PREVENTION!!!!!!!!!
(that was me slamming the exclamation point key btw – another issue that makes my blood churn is all this ‘cure’ crap versus common sense prevention!!!!!)
You rock!!
Aprille
Aprille
Thanks so much for contributing to the discussion and SO pleased to hear you agree! I’m with you girlfriend – it boils my blood too! 🙂 love your enthusiasm and all the !!!! too funny about you saying you like bling! ha ha
I hope you are doing great – we need to chat ….
Trudy
I had never heard of the term Pinkwashing either so thanks for the information and background. When my best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 38 I admit I was more aware of the amount of pink ribboned products and was shocked to see even champagne being labelled pink when studies have shown it can increase risk of relapse for women who have had cancer already. Buyer beware.
I agree Heidi – shocking is the word! and yes, I’m sure you’ll look at those pink ribbons differently now!
Green for Prevention!
Seriously!
You might add the book – It Starts With Food – to your list.
thanks Mitch – love the title and will check it out
Trudy,
Excellent post. This is one of thing that really bothers me about using causes to market — ESPECIALLY when it’s not entirely true or, in my opinion, ethical.
I with more people/companies/markers had more integrity.
Write on!~
Lisa Manyon
Lisa – I hear you on the ethics statement and lack of integrity! it kind of makes you wonder about other marketing efforts doesn’t it!?
I would like to see prevention AND a cure. I totally agree that way too little attention is paid to actually preventing disease. However, I wouldn’t go so far as to suggest that everyone who has cancer got it because of their personal lifestyle choices. As you mentioned, there are those who are genetically predisposed to getting cancer, and they may be exposed to environmental factors that were outside of their personal control.
I agree that the “pinkwashing” is totally out of control. I wouldn’t buy most of the products because they aren’t healthy. I do have breast cancer awareness checks, though. I don’t see anything wrong with cause marketing as long as it is done in a way that is truly aligned with the mission they are promoting. KFC and other companies promoting breast cancer awareness is just silly.
Hi Tiffany
I’m with you on having a cure just not the cause marketing we are seeing with all the junk food companies and other companies that are riding the band-wagon!
Trudy
Don’t forget the companies that advertise if you buy their jeans (or what have you) with the pink stitching then they will donate xxx amount of money to the cause. What they don’t tell you is that they will donate, but only from the first 50 or so pairs bought out of thousands. People buy these items thinking they are donating to a cause when the only cause they are donating to is the CEO’s pockets.
Thanks Cindi – I did not know about this aspect – wow!