By now, most people in the country know about the super food that yogurt is. Whether we’re discussing yogurt packaged in cups that we see in the refrigerated isles of our supermarkets of the myriad frozen yogurt franchise brands we encounter at just about every street corner, the health benefit angle in all their advertising and marketing has sure been effective. We see it on television, in magazines, in various outlets online particularly social networking sites, yogurt is the super food of the decade it seems. Even in the assorted yogurt shops and yogurt bars all over the country, somewhere in there, whether as part of their decor or in the material they hand out, the benefits of yogurt consumption is much touted. It’s no wonder that the yogurt franchise business has boomed in the last several years. It has been consistently ranking in the top 10 most popular franchise investments in the country. Whether we’re talking about the list of big and established brands like Red Mango, TCBY, or Pinkberry, or new, one-of operations aiming to make it in the franchising world. Even up to this day, one in every few business plans circulating about will surely involve a yogurt franchise. What makes them popular as a business venture? Well, a big part of it comes from the excitement of taking the plunge—finally committing to take on such a risk for a dream; the entrepreneurial streak, if you will. And for would-be franchisees, frozen yogurt shops aren’t an impossible reach anymore. Many franchise companies have gone into the frozen yogurt store business, thus, making it more attainable and maybe more affordable for would-be storeowners. These franchise companies provide certain know-how about the industry such as costs, suppliers, operations, equipment, sales, etc. that used to be solely in the control of big brands. Nowadays, the big companies face stiff competition from many other franchising outlets.

Aside from supporting such initiatives, particularly concerning those in the arena of general and reproductive health, many supporters of the women’s health issues have also taken a broader look at the concerns that many American women deal with on a daily basis. Tackling issues of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes are just some of the opportunities to deal with the much talked about subjects. For a country seemingly very concerned with health, fitness, and nutrition topics—basing that on the number of products and services, or huge businesses geared toward weight-loss, balanced diets, and proper nutrition flooding the market—America still ranks high on the global obesity scale with childhood obesity placing the country in the top 20^th spot; meanwhile, statistics also reveal that adult obesity is another major concern, with 1/3 of the adult population falling under the obese category. Aside from getting on committees and keeping watch on legislation on women’s health topics, many advocates are also mounting a different type of campaign that focuses more on the grassroots level. Information dissemination and clarification of misleading marketing materials relating to health, diet, and nutrition, is the main thrust of this movement. Beginning with an extremely popular topic such as consumption of yogurt to obtain the best health benefits. These days, we see it everywhere: online, in grocery store shelves, and in the numerous frozen yogurt franchise shops that have sprouted all over the country in the last few years. Messages and marketing materials sending consumers an often skewed version of the message. In this example, yogurt, in its various incarnations, does contain many highly beneficial ingredients. But, most times these materials fail to mention the true requirements and recipes at which point the consumers really enjoy the nutritional benefits. Many of these shops focus on the usually delicious but sweet toppings on offer at their toppings stations instead of highlighting fresh fruit and more nutritionally rich options; effectively cancelling out whatever health benefits consumers might reap with the potentially sugar-loaded cups of frozen yogurt. The goal now is to get the real information out to everyday, ordinary consumers. Yogurt is good for you, and can help improve your health provided it meets the criteria set for good nutrition. In short, not all yogurt companies or even frozen yogurt shops are the same and we need to be a little more informed about the things we consume. This is just one example of doing battle on the information front that we need to address at a more personal and basic level. More new products and brands are out there that affect our health in a seemingly harmless way. It’s time we pay attention, get informed, and make sure to share the information with others as well.