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USA, November 14, 2003: The article at “source” above is called “The 101 Dumbest Moments in Business.” The ninth “dumbest moment” caught HPI’s attention. It reads: “Because nobody understands 12-year-old girls quite like a cattle rancher. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn. launches www.cool-2b-real.com, a site designed to ‘steer’ young girls away from vegetarianism. Featuring enlightening articles and insightful quizzes (‘What type of beef do you most like to eat with your friends?’), the tweener-empowerment site also has recipes for snacks like Easy Beef Chili, Nacho Beef Dip, and Beef on Bamboo.”



Finding this hard to believe, our researcher click on the site (click here), which is still up, and found such tidbits as, “Variety Always Wins: Girls need about 40 nutrients every day — to grow, move and have fun. No food contains all 40 of these. So, you need to get a balance of these nutrients from many different foods. For instance, citrus fruits have a lot of Vitamin C but they don’t have any Vitamin B12. On the other hand, foods from the meat group, like beef, fish, pork and poultry, have a lot of Vitamin B12 but they don’t have any Vitamin C. This is why you need to eat a wide variety of foods every day. One food or type of food can’t do the job all by itself. That’s why we need to balance the foods we eat.”



Then there is the list of recipes, which begins with a very veggie one and quickly changes tune: Avocado Garden Salad, Beef on Bamboo, Beef Taco and Cheese Pockets, Cheeseburger Mac, Easy Beef Chili, etc.”



In the section called “Hey, Mom and Dad,” they finally cut to the meat of the matter: “Statement of Principles Regarding Nutrition and Health. As producers, processors and marketers of the nation’s beef supply, we are committed to providing a wholesome, nutritious food and to communicating accurate information about beef’s nutritional qualities and the role of beef in a healthful diet. Adopted by Board of Directors, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, August 1997.” Most of the other items on the list of 101 Dumbest Moments appear to have been corrected, retracted or died a natural death. The ranchers’ problem, of course, is that some 11% of teenage girls are already vegetarian, and one out of four teens believe vegetarianism is “cool,” a trend hazardous to their business.

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