"Mommy, mommy, I want that! Please, mommy, please!"
seems to be the soundtrack accompanying every commercial break during
children's shows, when kids are bombarded with advertisements for junk
And anyone who has taken either a psych 101 class or an
advertising class knows it's on purpose. Each commercial is designed to grab
your kids' attention, hold it and create a need in them that can only be filled
by chocolate, fruity, fatty, simple carbohydrates in bright colors and fun
Well, it looks like several government agencies are taking
notice too, and seriously considering putting a stop to it.
In a story on BNET yesterday, a document was published showing
an interagency group, including officials from the FTC, the FDA, the CDC and
the USDA, closely
watching how junk food is being marketed towards children and considering new,
very strict guidelines.
marketed to children would have to meet both a food standard, which means they
have to have a certain amount of actual food in them, and a nutrient standard,
which sets limits on how much bad stuff they can contain,"the article
Foods marketed to children would have to contain one
of the following:
- 0.5 cups fruit or fruit juice
- 0.6 cups vegetables or
- 0.75 oz. equivalent of 100%
- 0.75 cups milk or yogurt; 1
oz. natural cheese; 1.5 oz. processed cheese
- 1.4 oz. meat equivalent of
fish or extra lean meat or poultry
- 0.3 cups cooked dry beans
- 0.7 oz. nuts or seeds
- 1 egg or egg equivalent
marketed to children would be limited in:
- Saturated Fat: 1 g or less
per RACC and not more than 15% of calories
- Trans Fat: 0 g per RACC
- Sugar: No more than 13 g of
added sugars per RACC
- Sodium: No more than 200 mg
While the guidelines were presented at a meeting in December
2009 and signed off on by both the FTC and the FDA, the USDA has not signed off
on it, which is no surprise, considering how bad it would be for many of their
biggest lobbyists – food companies that sell this garbage to children.
Hopefully, this will pass. Obesity is an epidemic in this
country and we need to start being the adults and teaching our kids right from
wrong, which, believe it or not, includes matters of health.
In fact, we've discussed this very issue at Woman's Day many
times, helping parents instill healthy eating habits in their children. So for
more help, read "14 Secrets to Better-Eating Kids" and whether or not
this law passes, your kids will be in great shape.
- Alexandra Gekas,