Don't be Tricked by Clever Marketing... i.e. Vitamin water XXX

So on our way from the border town where my mom lives to our home here in Mexico, we decided to stop at a drug store for some snacks. I enjoy a lively snack while I'm driving to help keep me awake. I only had the two girls with me, and I asked each one what she wanted me to pick up for her. The 10-year-old said she would like some preztel M&Ms and the 17-year-old girl said she would like some XXX Vitamin Water. Since I was planning on getting myself a bag of Doritos and a dark chocolate bar, I wasn't going to lecture either one on the lack of healthy merits to their choices. Yes, some days I just fail at being healthy, especially when I'm traveling.

I went into the store and began searching for the specified XXX Vitamin water. I was already disgusted because I know that Vitamin water is nothing but a bunch of sugar and dye, but when  I encountered the XXX flavored Vitamin water, I became even more piqued. The label said it was an acai-blueberry-pomegranate flavored drink. At least they're honest about that. It's not actually an acai-blueberry-pomegranate drink. It's just one the flavored to taste like one. That truth was verified when I realized that there was only 1% juice in the drink.

I was beyond bothered because acai, blueberries, and pomegranates are touted to be some of the best cancer-fighting foods on the planet and the fact that a company would try to fool individuals by putting these foods on their labels, but only in barely perceptible quantities in their products, to increase the health appeal enraged me.

So yeah. I went ahead and bought the drink. But immediately after I started up the engine, I said to the 17-year-old girl, who tries to be health-conscious, "17-year-old girl, do you think that Vitamin water XXX is a healthy drink?" She kind of laughed uncomfortably and said, "Well, no, I know it's not healthy, but, like, it's better than a soda. And I just like how it tastes."

I said, "Okay, as long as you realize it's not healthy, then you are making an informed decision. So why don't we take a look at the ingredient list and talk about it?" She opened up the bag and started reading the list. We had a long discussion about each ingredient, a discussion very similar to THIS blog post, which goes through all the ingredients in Vitamin water XXX and their lack of merit, which I would high recommend you read.

We concluded that Vitamin water XXX is deceptive advertising, water, sugar, dyes and other chemicals with a few added vitamins.  Which, yes, is better than drinking a Coke.

My point is..... If you are going to consume something, be an informed consumer and know what you are eating or drinking. Don't let clever marketing white-collars in a high-rise office building trick you into thinking their product is good for you when it's not.

That is all.

Thanks for listening.