Pizza Program Criticized

A Pizza Hut-sponsored program that rewards reading with free slices of pizza for students in kindergarten through sixth grade has recently been the target of criticism from a Harvard Medical School (HMS) instructor.

Susan E. Linn, the associate director of the Media Center at the Judge Baker Children’s Center and an instructor in Psychiatry at HMS, criticized the fast-food giant last week, charging that its reading program amounted to corporate sponsorship and encouraged unhealthy eating habits.

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood–an organization that Linn co-founded—has begun a campaign to inform parents and teachers about what Lynn says are the potential harms of the program.

“Commercialism of any kind has no place in a school,” Linn said on Friday. “It’s not that I’m against going out every once in awhile for pizza—I’m very fond of pizza, actually.

“The primary issue is marketing in the school, and the fact that these corporate programs come into schools without any kind of oversight or any kind of testing ahead of time.

“The kids don’t just get a coupon every month—they’re constantly reminded of Pizza Hut throughout the school year.”

Pizza Hut’s “Book It” has over 900,000 participating classrooms nationwide, with approximately 20 schools in Cambridge, according to the program’s Web site.

While the program has existed for 22 years, it has begun to attract the attention of child health experts and parents concerned about the rise in childhood obesity and corporate sponsorship.

But a Pizza Hut spokesman defended the program.

“We are very proud of the program and since the recent criticism was launched we have received hundreds of e-mails from educators, parents and former Book It participants, all supporting the program,” spokesman Christopher D. Fuller wrote in an e-mailed statement after refusing a telephone interview.

Andrea L. Mills, a New York resident and parent, said she lobbied her son’s preschool to discontinue the Book It program.

“Promoting reading is something I want to do, but I don’t think advertising for Pizza Hut is necessarily the best way to do it,” Mills said.

“Reading is wonderful, and we shouldn’t have to offer them a pizza for it,” she said.

Mills added that offering incentives for reading may not be an effective way to promote a genuine interest.

“It really is about the pizza,” she said. “Kids read books way below their level just to get the pizza without having an engaging experience with the literature.”

But Fuller said the program was really about the books.

“The Book It program is designed to help children develop a love of books and reading, and accomplishing goals. Teachers and parents tell us that the rewards of praise, recognition and pizza are motivating,” Fuller said.

He added that Pizza Hut was “proud of the success of the Book It program, which has encouraged millions of students to develop a life-long passion for reading.”