May 4, 2006 -- Food Marketing to Children Linked to Obesity

In the second report in six months to criticize the way the food industry markets high-calorie and high-sugar products to children, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which monitors advertising in the U.S., and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended May 2 that food companies take a variety of steps, including:

• adopting minimum nutrition standards for foods they market to children;
• reviewing and revising policies for foods sold in schools;
• exploring ways to educate the public about nutrition and fitness;
• creating new products and reformulating existing ones to make them lower in calories and more nutritious;
• including smaller portion sizes in single-serving food items.

FTC Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras, while noting that the report calls only for voluntary self-regulation on the part of food companies, said the FTC "plans to monitor the industry efforts closely" and expects to see "real improvement." HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said, "Businesses need to work with mothers and fathers to bring America’s epidemic of childhood overweight under control." The FTC/HHS recommendations follow a report by the Institute of Medicine last year that found 80 percent to 97 percent of the food products aimed at children and teenagers were of "poor nutritional quality." The full text of the FTC/HHS report is available at http://ftc.gov/opa/2006/05/childhoodobesity.htm.