Legislation could limit "junk food" advertising aimed at children

Food & Drink Weekly, March 21, 2005

Some nutritionists, consumer advocates and others claim "junk foods" that focus advertising at young children is helping exacerbate the problem of childhood obesity. Moreover, a new study predicts we are eating ourselves toward a precipitous drop in U.S. life expectancy over the next half-century. Now, the food industry has come under pressure to improve the quality of its products and ease up on its intense marketing campaign directed at children.

"It has become a full-fledged epidemic," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). "Junk food ads are pervasive on TV and radio, in print media, on the Internet, on billboards, in movies and along grocery store aisles. Not even schools are safe havens anymore."

Harkin said he intends to introduce legislation that would give the agriculture secretary the power to ban all "junk food" advertising in schools. He also plans to offer a bill to restore the Federal Trade Commission's power to regulate marketing directed at children. That authority was largely taken away in 1980.

The American Psychological Association, which has studied the effect of advertising on children, estimates that more than $12 billion is spent annually aiming products at them. Jeff McIntyre, the association's senior legislative affairs officer, told the news conference that children under the age of 8 "are easy targets for commercial persuasion" because they "lack the cognitive development to understand the persuasive intent of advertising."

The Center for Consumer Freedom, a nonprofit coalition, issued a statement from senior analyst Dan Mindus that said, "There is simply no scientific evidence proving food advertisements contribute to childhood obesity, but there is an abundance of research showing that a lack of physical activity does, and this is where our efforts should be focused."