(NaturalNews) A study conducted by Children Now, a California-based child advocacy group, has been released that indicts the food industry for continuing to market unhealthy food to children. Despite many food companies' expressed willingness in years prior to self-regulate themselves and shift their advertising efforts towards more healthy fare, little change has been seen.
In 2006, the Institute of Medicine (IM) made recommendations to the food industry to reform their marketing strategies towards promoting more
healthy, nutritious food rather than
junk food. In 2007, the U.S. Council of Better Business Bureaus launched the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, an effort aimed at meeting the IM
recommendations. Over 12 of the nation's largest
food producers agreed to cooperate in changing their
advertising strategies.
The current study found that despite their promises, the
food industry has generally failed to adopt any of the primary recommendations. Advertisements continue to entice
children with nutritionally-deficient
foods that are attractive to them, often trying to pass their
products off as healthy when they are not.
Dr. Dale Kunkel, the author of the study, has concluded based on years of research that the
marketing of junk food is a substantial contributor to childhood obesity. More than 72 percent of television food
advertisements aimed at children today are for food products in the worst nutritional category. Only one percent of all advertising is for truly healthy foods.
Prior to 2005 when the initiative began, 84 percent of
television ads were for food products in the worst nutritional category, representing a 14-percent drop since that time. Dr. Kunkel sees this as too little and is hoping that Congressional intervention will be the next step.
Comments by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Let's be straight about this: Any nation that wanted to protect the
health of its children would flat-out
ban the marketing of junk food to children.
The junk food
corporations, of course, now claim "
free speech" rights thanks to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that effectively grants corporations the same free speech rights as individuals. So now we're going to be overrun by "free speech" advertisements for junk food, targeted to children and infants in order to hook them on processed
junk foods.
Corporations should be stripped of such rights. The corporatocracy cannot be allowed to poison our children with more toxic junk foods and sodas laced with chemical sweeteners.
The
United States of America is supposed to be a nation of the People, by the People and for the People... not for the corporations!
Any nation that raises its children on junk foods has no real future. Sadly, that now seems to include the United States of
America.
Sources for this story include:http://uanews.org/node/29055
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, impacting the lives of millions of readers around the world who are experiencing phenomenal health benefits from reading his articles. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched NaturalNews.TV, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NaturalNews subscription database. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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