Channeling Game of Thrones to Fight Obesity

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - No spoiler alerts here, we promise. A recent Forbes article shared that Season 8 of HBO’s Game of Thrones showcased a thrilling moment where rival families and religions join forces to defeat the White Walkers zombie army. It made author Hank Cardello think of another equally terrifying situation that could use some collaboration and teamwork: Obesity. Today, 93 million American adults have an increased risk of premature death due to obesity.

Cardello calls for every sector of the food and beverage industry to join forces and fight the fight against this problem. “And we especially need the biggest companies in those sectors to engage seriously, because they can make the biggest impact,” he writes.

He notes that, “in a very satisfying plot twist, the convenience store industry has emerged as the obesity wars’ Jaime Lannister: the rogue character who shows more and more moments of profound nobility and emerges an unlikely hero.”

In fact, NACS was named Partner of the Year by the nonprofit Partnership for a Healthier America, which fights obesity and educates on public health.|

Thanks to combined efforts from a variety of groups and organizations, the U.S. convenience store sector now sells a quarter of a billion dollars of fruit annually, and water sales have topped $4 billion. Consumers also have noticed these changes: One in three (32%) consumers said convenience stores offered more prepared foods, and 19% said they noticed more healthy options, such as salads on store shelves, according to a 2017 NACS consumer survey.