Does Pizza Hut's Book It! program contribute to a nation of fat kids?

I fondly remember the days of my youth when I participated in the Pizza Hut sponsored Book It! program. I LOVED the idea that if I read enough books, I could get "a whole cheeze pizza just for me!" (I also liked Home Alone.) But as concern over childhood obesity has risen, a growing concern about the health implications of this program have also grown. Sarah Senghas outlines the argument in her Associated Content article "Critics Want to Can Pizza Hut's Book It Program: Read the Book, Eat the Pizza. Is that so Wrong?"

On one hand the program gets overwhelming support from some parents. (These are comments to Senghas article.)

Rhonda J. Rains 03/17/07:
Kids THRIVE on getting rewarded for something they did and it build their self confidence.... it also can prompt a family night out to a restuarant now and then. It's good to get out with the family for dinner once in awhile and I for one am so busy it's hard to imagine the long drive (we live in the middle of nowhere) there and back so we rarely go out. However when it's for a reward I then feel I need to make sure she gets that reward and in turn we have a fun family night out.

Tracie 03/24/2007:
C'mon- this obesity argument is getting a little out of hand- there is nothing wrong with things in moderation- as long as the children eat a generally healthy diet and combined it with daily activities there is absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and rewarding them on a job well done!

I absolutely understand these perspectives and agree with them to a limited extent, yet at the same time I agree with these points too (from the CCFC website):

“BOOK IT! epitomizes everything that’s wrong with corporate-sponsored programs in school,” said Dr. Linn, author of Consuming Kids. “In the name of education, it promotes junk food consumption to a captive audience of children; turns teachers into Pizza Hut promoters; and undermines parents by positioning family visits to Pizza Hut as an integral component of raising literate children.”

"If I were trying to design a program that would undermine children's interest in books, lead them to read in a shallow fashion, and convince them to avoid challenging texts, I honestly don't think I could top Book It!,” said Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards and The Schools Our Children Deserve. “Dangling pizza in front of kids as a reward for reading, much as one might use treats to house-train a puppy, reflects a completely discredited theory of motivation. Indeed, by teaching children that reading is just a means to an end, the program is likely to be not merely ineffective but positively harmful."

Developmentally, Kohn is right. People aren't dogs, and behaviorism does not instill an intrinsic motivation to do anything. If children only read to get a prize, that's a problem. Even so, I remember my Book It family nights as pretty special. Yes, I had a button, and I wore it and it's little gold stars with pride. But, maybe that's proof of Pizza Hut's real purpose - to get people to buy pizza. There's no shame in that. Pizza is there business. And yippee that they're interested in encouraging kids to read. But what are the implications for a nation in health crisis?

When we know the following, it easy to understand why this rewards system is perhaps not the best health decision for children in a nation already struggling with weight related health issues:

BOOK IT! rewards students with certificates for a free Pizza Hut personal pizza when they reach certain reading goals. A Pizza Hut six-inch personal pan pizza has 630 calories and 27 grams of fat. With a topping, it can have as many as 770 calories and 39 grams of fat. For children ages 3-5, a Pizza Hut personal pizza can contain more than half of their daily caloric requirement, as well as their entire fat requirement.

(And yes, Pizza Hut does have a Book It! Beginners program for preschoolers.) Good memories or not, we must be conscious of what eating habits we are building in our children. Maybe reconsidering this program is part of that process.

If you'd like to TAKE ACTION, you can check out this fact sheet and action suggestions from CCFC.

Getting started: a basic, basic overview

A little while back I read the book School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal to Market Commodity (2005), in which author Alex Molnar outlines eight primary categories of school commercialism. Probably most everything that we look at will fall into one of these general categories, so here they are with examples when possible:

1. sponsorship of programs and activities – This is when corporations pay money or subsidize activities or events in schools in exchange for associating their name with the activity. Corporate sponsored scholarships are also in this category. (Examples include The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation sponsors several schools in Dayton. Also, Coca-Cola offers a number of $20,000 and $10,000 scholarships to graduating seniors.)
   
2. exclusive agreements – This is when schools and corporations make an agreement that gives a company exclusive rights to sell and promote their products within a school or district and the school gets a portion of the profits. (A basic, well-known example is when school district sign exclusive contracts to sell only Coca-Cola or Pepsi products.)
3. incentive programs – Corporations offer money, products, or services to schools in exchange for student, family, or faculty involvement in a designated activity. (Examples include Pizza Hut’s Book It program.)
4. appropriation of space – Corporations pay to advertise on school owned property – buildings, bulletin boards, buses, etc. (Example: Adcompany is a Dallas/Fort Worth company that puts ads on school buses.)
   
5. sponsored educational materials – These are educational materials, generally provided for free, that include “educational content” but are produced and provided by corporations. (Example: Dole's 5 a Day program offers free lesson plans and curriculum material for teachers.)
   
6. electronic marketing – Corporations provide electronic equipment or programming in exchange for the right to advertise to students. The best known example is Channel One.
7. privatization – This is when school programs, or entire schools, are managed by private, for-profit companies. (Example: Edison Schools run a number of individual schools and entire districts around the nation.)
   
8. fundraising – Corporations run programs that allow students, parents, or other members of the school community to sell products or services to raise money for the schools. (Example: SchoolFundraisers.com is a pretty typical fundraising company. I don't know about you, but I sold all sorts of wrapping paper, magazine subscriptions, and oranges as a kid...)
   

Being totally straight up, I don't think all school commercialism is bad (I'd take $20,000 if Coke offered it, wouldn't you?), but I do think that a lot of it is pushing very dangerous ethical boundaries in our schools. As we get going, we'll look at examples more closely.