Originally published January 4 2006
Medical authorities speak critically of TV's impact on good nutrition
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
A review conducted by the Institute of Medicine found that TV advertisements contributed heavily to the poor dietary nutrition of many children's diets.
There is strong evidence that television advertising influences the diets of children" said Dr. Michael McGinnis, a senior scholar at the Institute of Medicine, which conducted the review.
Studies also suggest marketing can lead to higher rates of body fat, though more evidence is need, said the institute, an independent, nonprofit body that advises the government.
The group called for a nationwide campaign to educate families about healthy foods, national standards for food offered at schools, and expanded industry guidelines to monitor the Internet and other nontraditional ad venues.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association said many of its members have already improved food labels and promoted healthier lifestyles.
But the industry-funded Center for Consumer Freedom rejected the study's findings, saying a lack of exercise, not food, was to blame for rising obesity.
Last year, the food and beverage industry spent about $11 billion in advertising, including $5 billion on television commercials, mostly for high-calorie products with little nutritional value.
Promotions led children ages 2 to 11 to ask for certain products, and kids aged 4 and younger could not tell the difference between television advertisements and programing, the report said.
To reach its conclusions the team of media and health experts reviewed 123 published studies and industry information at a time when more Americans of all ages are getting fatter.
About 9 million U.S. children and teen-agers, or about 16 percent, are obese compared with 5 percent in the 1960s.
Tom Harkin (news, bio, voting record), an Iowa Democrat who pushed legislation requiring the $1 million study, said the "report proves that the onslaught of junk-food marketing is endangering the health of our children."
Others, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called on Congress to act immediately.
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