Kids Still Bombarded With Junk Food Ads on TV

This a follow-up to yesterday's item about the Kaiser Family Foundation's study on how kids are bombarded with TV ads that peddle junk food.

As I've stated here before, such massive marketing to kids is one that offends me greatly, because our innocent, defenseless children are basically being almost brainwashed to eat their culprit carb foods. Not only could all this junk food lead to obesity, but it could trigger many other health and emotional problems.

Kids eating lots of junk food could have difficulty concentrating, get headaches, be excessively exhausted, anxious, depressed, moody, and even get bad grades.

Anyhow, see this thoughtful, thorough New York Times article from Elizabeth Olson today about the new study.

She writes:

"For years, health officials have warned that bombarding children with junk food commercials has contributed to the problem of childhood obesity. Food conglomerates, eager to fend off federal regulation, have made various commitments to improve, including a pledge in December to meet goals for promoting fitness and healthier foods.

"The Kaiser Family Foundation{cq} released a study yesterday that it said provides a way to measure the companies’ progress. The foundation, a nonprofit group that focuses on health care issues, found that 50 percent of ad time on children’s shows is devoted to food. Among the ads aimed at children and teenagers, 72 percent are for candy, snacks, sugary cereals or fast food."

The repoter continues:

"These advertisements `are largely for products that children should be eating less of, not more of, if we’re going to get a handle on childhood obesity,' said Victoria J. Rideout, director of the foundation’s program for the study of entertainment media and health.

Of the food ads that the study examined, 34 percent were for candy and snacks, 28 percent for cereal and 10 percent for fast food. Ms. Rideout said that almost 100 percent of the cereals were sugared."

Do take time to read Elizabeth Olson's entire New York Times story. It's a great overview about the situation and the food industry's defensive, "I've changed!" reaction.