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by Randy CassinghamRandy Cassingham’s Honorary Unsubscribe Recognizes the Unknown, the Forgotten and the Obscure People who Had an Impact on Our Lives
Robert B. Choate Jr
An engineer, Choate gave up his career to become what he called a “citizen lobbyist” to fight poverty and malnutrition. He was appalled by the lack of nutrition in common foods, and in 1970 he was thrust into the spotlight when he testified before a Senate subcommittee that popular packaged cereals were hardly qualified to be called “food”. After analyzing 60 popular cereals, he found 2/3 consisted of “empty calories — a term thus far applied to alcohol and sugar.” When cereal fought back (“We feel Mr. Choate is a very talented individual, particularly if he’s digging ditches or building bridges,” sniffed a Kellogg’s spokesman), he came back with more data, and more attacks, showing how “the worst cereals are huckstered to children” through millions of dollars worth of TV commercials. The news media loved the fight, and stood behind Choate. “Snap, Crackle, Flop” Newsweek said. “Breakfast of Chumps?” Time magazine asked. The Washington Post dubbed him “a consultant, a board member, a resource witness, a lobbyist and change advocate, and that rare being, a do-gooder with political savvy.” And sure enough, the cereal companies fell into line, making improvements in their products’ nutritional quality. Congress acted too, requiring nutritional information on cereal boxes, which expanded to most foods by the 1990s. Choate died May 3, ironically from a medical condition that prevented him from swallowing. He was 84.
From This is True for 10 May 2009
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The early write-ups from This is True's popular Honorary Unsubscribe feature are now available for your Kindle (or Kindle software for your smartphone, tablet, or computer) as low-cost ebooks. See details on Volume 1 (covering 1998 through 2000) and Volume 2 (covering 2001 through 2003). The honorees truly are the people you wish you had known.
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