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Jodi Rich is the Publisher of Natural Products Marketplace Magazine. She has been working in the natural products industry for almost seven years and has an extensive background in sales, marketing, and promotions. She graduated with a communications degree from Arizona State University, which isn't surprising because she's quite a talker. Jodi embraces a healthy lifestyle by mastering crazy yoga poses and spending all of her hard earned money on the latest and greatest products from SunFlower Market. Sarah Prahl is an account executive with Natural Products Marketplace. She has been involved in the natural products industry her entire life and is so passionate about the industry, she is also a Clinical Nutritionist. Sarah has a consumer publishing background and in a past life, sold supplements to both small health food stores and large chains. She is excited to bring both her nutrition knowledge and market experience to support growing entrepreneurs in the natural products category! When Sarah isn't selling advertising, you'll find her hiking with her dogs in beautiful Boulder, Colorado or striking a pose at the local yoga studio. |
Healthcare Crisis: What can save us Billions of Dollars?
Posted in
Blog,
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Allergies,
Cancer,
Children's Health,
Diabetes,
Industry News,
Obesity,
Pregnancy,
Prenatal Nutrition,
Women's Health
Answer: Boobs (Someplace a man reading this is smiling)! But seriously, a new study published Monday by the journal Pediatrics says the United States incurs $13 billion in excess costs annually and suffers 911 preventable deaths per year because our breastfeeding rates fall far below medical recommendations.
Most organizations believe infants should be exclusively breast-fed through the first six months of life. Supporters include the World Health Organization (WHO), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Breastfeeding has many benefits, including reduced risks of obesity, type 1diabetes, allergies, gastrointestinal issues, childhood leukemia, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and more.
However, a 2009 breastfeeding report card from the CDC found that only 74 percent of women start breastfeeding, and only 33 percent of those were still exclusively breastfeeding at three months, with only 14 percent still exclusively breastfeeding at six months. So why do we fall below average? Spoken from the trenches, breastfeeding is certainly not an “easy” task. According to the authors of the CDC report, the two of biggest reason new mothers don’t exclusively breast feed for 6 months:
1. Lack of education and resources at the hospital level
2.
Pressure from family or friends to “give up.” After all, we turned out OK, and we were “formula babies.”
So, how does this directly relate to you as a natural products retailer? Knowledge is power. Beef up your store literature on breastfeeding and help your customers understand the long-term benefits. If you have a mailer or e-newsletter, include stats and facts on breastfeeding along with specials for pregnancy and new mom purchases. Also, partner with a lactation consultant in your area, and keep her card on hand.
It’s certainly easy to reach out to pregnant women and engage them in conversation. However, signage and well-placed literature will allow you to reach that non-traditional audience, because that new mom has a support network that needs to know the facts too.
Jodi Rich
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