Swelling waistlines: Eleven companies to change ads aimed at kids

News Type: Event — Seeded on Wed Aug 8, 2007 6:35 PM EDT

Article Source: CBC

health, children, food, advertising, obesity, consumers, sugar, junk-food, beverage, soft-drinks

Eleven U.S. food and beverage companies say they're overhauling their advertising campaigns, stripping cartoon characters from sugar cereal boxes and pitching lower calorie snacks to children in a bid to help curb growing obesity levels.

The announcement from companies including Campbell Soup Co., General Mills Inc., McDonald's and PepsiCo Inc. came before a Wednesday Federal Trade Commission hearing on the effectiveness of self-regulatory marketing measures.

Margo Wootan, Nutrition Policy Director at the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest, said changing television, print, radio and online ads is a good first step but cautioned that more changes will have to be introduced for greater effect.

"I think this is a very good step forward," Wootan said. "It's not the end of the journey but it's a good way down the road."

Critics of self-regulation say the programs should be standardized and also note that companies will not face any penalties if they violate their own pledges.

Published to:

Glinda's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: none
Regions: none

Public Discussion (1)

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

1.5

{"commentId":932907,"authorDomain":"witchofthenorth"}

Glinda

They must have sensed legislation in the wind - they all seem to be going about it basically their own way...

Among the changes promised Wednesday, seven companies said they would only use licensed characters such as Shrek or Dora the Explorer to promote healthier products in online or print media. Four companies said they would not advertise to children under the age of 12.

Fast food chain McDonald's said it would limit advertising its Happy Meals to meals that include apple dippers, low-fat milk, a hamburger or Chicken McNuggets to children under the age of 12. Similarly, PepsiCo says it will market its Baked Cheetos and Gatorade — two products deemed by the company to be among its healthier fare — to children.

Wow, PepsiCo that is a sad statement.

{"commentId":932907,"threadId":"135505","contentId":"885922","authorDomain":"witchofthenorth"}

1 vote

#1 - Wed Aug 8, 2007 6:39 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"135505","isPrivate":false}

GLINDA

Backyard

Swelling waistlines: Eleven companies to change ads aimed at kids

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF:

Study: Diet food & drink could set young kids up for later obesity	CBC	Wed Aug 8	1
Canadian Politics: Rhino Party Candidate running on Promise to rename the country Nantucket	CBC	Wed Aug 8	1
Satellites to Track Food Safety for Beijing Olympics	CBC	Wed Aug 8	1
4th-Generation Pig Cloned in Japan	CBC	Wed Aug 8	1
Algerian Ambition: Hybrid Solar / Gas Plant to Power Europe	CBC	Wed Aug 8	1