...that I decided to write him a letter. Here it is:
November 7, 2008
Dear Mr. Pennington,
I want to first say that I enjoy your show and I think it’s wonderful to see people do nice things for families who have helped their communities. I think that you do great work, and because of that, people want to listen to what you have to say. They like to think that you are working to do good for them.
That being said, I am extremely disappointed to see you endorsing Similac formula. I have seen the ads in many, many places, and each time I see them, I feel discouraged and disheartened. American culture is already not terribly friendly to breastfeeding; many people shame mothers who nurse in public, and many doctors are woefully uneducated about how to resolve breastfeeding issues and end up urging their patients to just give up and switch to formula. Everywhere we look, we see images of babies being fed not from their mothers’ breasts but from bottles.
Not only is breastfeeding what nature intended, but it has been proven over and over again to be the best, healthiest thing for both mother and baby. Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend strongly that all babies be breastfed for the first two years of their lives. The benefits of breastfeeding for babies include better immune function, higher IQs later in life, lower obesity rates, better gut health, fewer ear infections, better bonding with their mothers, and better health in general. For mothers, it helps them return to a healthy weight after birth, helps prevent breast cancer, helps to comfort baby, and saves time and money. Every day we discover more benefits that were previously unknown.
Many mothers, especially those with lower socioeconomic status, tend to be uneducated about breastfeeding and are taught that formula is “just as good”, when in fact, it is much less healthy for both babies and mothers. By endorsing a brand of formula, you are sending the message that formula is, in fact, just as good as breastmilk. You have the power to send a message to the public, and I find it disappointing that the message you are sending encourages unhealthy practices to new mothers. I know that there are cases where a mother legitimately cannot nurse her baby for one reason or another, but it is my hope that you will stop endorsing a vastly overused product that damages the health of our youngest and most helpless people.
ETA: I think I have the correct address to reach him. I think we should ALL write letters. FLOOD them with letters! Let me know if you want the address.
November 7, 2008
Dear Mr. Pennington,
I want to first say that I enjoy your show and I think it’s wonderful to see people do nice things for families who have helped their communities. I think that you do great work, and because of that, people want to listen to what you have to say. They like to think that you are working to do good for them.
That being said, I am extremely disappointed to see you endorsing Similac formula. I have seen the ads in many, many places, and each time I see them, I feel discouraged and disheartened. American culture is already not terribly friendly to breastfeeding; many people shame mothers who nurse in public, and many doctors are woefully uneducated about how to resolve breastfeeding issues and end up urging their patients to just give up and switch to formula. Everywhere we look, we see images of babies being fed not from their mothers’ breasts but from bottles.
Not only is breastfeeding what nature intended, but it has been proven over and over again to be the best, healthiest thing for both mother and baby. Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend strongly that all babies be breastfed for the first two years of their lives. The benefits of breastfeeding for babies include better immune function, higher IQs later in life, lower obesity rates, better gut health, fewer ear infections, better bonding with their mothers, and better health in general. For mothers, it helps them return to a healthy weight after birth, helps prevent breast cancer, helps to comfort baby, and saves time and money. Every day we discover more benefits that were previously unknown.
Many mothers, especially those with lower socioeconomic status, tend to be uneducated about breastfeeding and are taught that formula is “just as good”, when in fact, it is much less healthy for both babies and mothers. By endorsing a brand of formula, you are sending the message that formula is, in fact, just as good as breastmilk. You have the power to send a message to the public, and I find it disappointing that the message you are sending encourages unhealthy practices to new mothers. I know that there are cases where a mother legitimately cannot nurse her baby for one reason or another, but it is my hope that you will stop endorsing a vastly overused product that damages the health of our youngest and most helpless people.
ETA: I think I have the correct address to reach him. I think we should ALL write letters. FLOOD them with letters! Let me know if you want the address.
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