Won't Anyone Restrict Junk Food Advertising to Kids? Anyone at All?

Coke and french fries and Oreos — oh my. These are just a few of the unhealthy snacks American kids consume by the plate- and cup-full. Considering about one-third of the country's children weigh in as overweight or obese, it's clear that we've got to figure out a way to change their tastes for salt, fat, and sugar.

To that end, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) could start limiting the way food manufacturers market junk food to kids. The FTC recently subpoenaed 48 companies for their nutritional data and information on their marketing practices to kids. These companies have til December 1st of this year to submit info to the commish.

But will this gathering of knowledge from companies like Campbell's, Coca-Cola, Kraft, and McDonald's actually prompt a restriction in how food behemoths can market their goods to tots? Unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely. As Marion Nestle recently wrote for The Atlantic, the FTC's tried this before back in 2007, and companies weren't so forthcoming with their info (surprise, surprise). Even if the FTC does push harder this time to get the data it needs, it likely won't lead to any real changes in the way food manufacturers do business. "The FTC is quoted as saying that none of this is expected to lead to new regulations," Nestle wrote.

The FTC itself doesn't exactly have a history of taking children's health seriously. In a 2008 report, the FTC recommended that companies advertising to kids under the age of 12 should adopt "meaningful, nutrition-based standards for marketing their products." The FTC was then expected to create a position paper on what, exactly, constituted proper nutrition standards for children. The paper was expected this past July — we're still waiting.

It's all well and good that the FTC wants to collect more data on how junk food manufacturers hawk their products to kiddies, but as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Food manufacturers and distributors spend billions and billions of dollars a year creating ads geared towards children. You can't turn on the television without seeing lovable cartoon characters snacking on chips, candy, and sugary cereals. Kids that visit fast food restaurants are rewarded with a shiny, new toy for their poor eating habits for goodness sake. We don't need more information about how these companies advertise to kids — we can see that for ourselves every time we turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or glance at billboards. What we really need is restrictions on the advertisements themselves.

Combating the childhood obesity epidemic is going to take a multi-faceted approach, and restricting junk food advertising to kids is just one piece of the puzzle. But it's an important piece, so we need to take the FTC, government agencies, policymakers, and food manufacturers to task to enact these changes. Sign our petition asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restrict junk food ads aimed at children.

Photo credit: therealbrute via Flickr