Bob Greene, Oprah’s Trainer, Recommends Bottled Water?

Say it ain’t so.  Oprah’s trainer, Bob Greene, recommending bottle water? Well, it’s true. Bob Greene has a new website, Best Life, geared towards helping people lose weight. The website contains a section entitled  Best Life approved foods .  Nestlé® Pure Life® Purified Water, which will be carrying the “Best Life” seal, is one of the recommended foods. Why would a health guru every recommend bottle water?  (I know why. I am not that naiive.)

So, Bob, what happened to good old tap water? Just in case you don’t know, the  Environmental Working Group tested ten popular bottled waters. The test results revealed that collectively the waters contained 38 chemical pollutants, with an average of 8 contaminants in each.

“Unlike tap water, where consumers are provided with test results every year, the bottled water industry is not required to disclose the results of any contaminant testing that it conducts. Instead, the industry hides behind the claim that bottled water is held to the same safety standards as tap water. But with promotional campaigns saturated with images of mountain springs, and prices 1,900 times the price of tap water, consumers are clearly led to believe that they are buying a product that has been purified to a level beyond the water that comes out of the garden hose.”

Last month, the gals at the Green Mom Carnival did a series on why bottle water is not good for the environment or your body for that matter.  My post highlighted the environmental impacts of bottle water along with real health concerns relating to the leaching of antimony and estrogenic compounds.

Our newest Green Moms Carnival member, Linda Anderson of the Green Citizen, started a writing campaign to ask Bob Greene to withdraw his support of bottled water.  Join her in campaign. Think of twittering your displeasure.

Perhaps, Greene should have been listening when Dr. Oz, a frequent guest on Oprah,conversed with Gary Ginsberg, co-author of What’s Toxic, What’s Not, about some of the toxins that Ginsburg says you should try to avoid.  During their discussion, the topic of bottled versus tap water came up.  Ginsberg stated the following:

“Often bottled water is city tap water that may be run through an extra filter, which you can do at home for pennies a day and save yourself [money],” he says. “Then you have the plasticizer issue [with bottled water] because plastics do leech into water.”

So, Greene, drop the bottle water from your site.  Perhaps consider adding a stainless steel reusable bottle instead. I bet there are a bunch of companies that would jump at the chance to sponsor your site. If you don’t know any, call me. Heck, just go ask Clorox to sponsor you.  They manufacture Brita and their  filters can be recycle at some Whole Foods. (Thanks to another one of our Green Moms Carnival members, Beth Terry.)

By the way, while you are writing, Linda suggests to post on the bottled water discussion on  President Obama’s facebook site.  Ask  him to stop using bottle water as well as serving it at the White House. You know, lead by example.

Thanks for the alert, Linda. (And welcome to the Green Moms Carnival!)

What’s your thoughts on Bob Greene and Nestlé® bottle water recommendation?

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