Advocacy Groups Mass Against Food Marketing Self-Regulation

In advance of a Federal Trade Commission forum on food marketing and childhood obesity, kids advocacy group Children Now planned to unveil a study Monday, Dec. 14, that claims the food and beverage industry's self-regulatory efforts have not worked. It and other studies being pitched at the FTC next week come as the commission considers new government guidelines on food marketing on air, online and perhaps elsewhere.?"The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children," by veteran kids TV researcher Dale Kunkel, was being prepared for release at a George Washington University conference. It found that almost three out of four foods advertised to kids on TV (72%) are for products "in the poorest nutritional category," while only 1% are for healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. "We have given the industry time and opportunity to address this issue. Unfortunately, the research indicates that their pledges have failed our children," said Jeff McIntyre, director of national policy for Children Now.