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Selling candy to babies: Is that OK?

Everyday Outrages Department

Should corporations have unlimited freedom to market junk food to kids too little to understand what an ad is?

A growing chorus of advocates for children is saying “No!”

That includes the American Academy of Pediatrics, which issued a policy statement this month calling on Congress to “implement a ban on junk-food advertising during programming that is viewed predominantly by young children.”
(Their statement also called for restrictions on advertising of cigarettes, alcohol, and “erectile dysfunction” drugs and for a ban on interactive advertising to kids on digital TV. It’s great. See the full statement at: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/118/6/2563 )

Also calling for limits on food ads to kids is Sen. Tom Harkin (D, IA), who is about to become chair of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. Harkin has already introduced legislation that would allow the Federal Trade Commission to regulate marketing of foods and beverages to children younger than 18. (The AAP says kids younger than eight can’t understand the concept of an ad, but kids a lot older than that can still be seduced by ads). For more on current and past attempts to restrict advertising to kids, see http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/12/20/BUGH6N1RL545.DTL&hw=George+Raine&sn=003&sc=562

And for more background on the movement to restrict food ads to kids, check out our article at http://www.4children.org/news/505adve.htm

Corporate advertisers say enticing toddlers with pictures of candy is free speech. But the AAP says “Unlike free speech, commercial speech does not enjoy the same protections under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Advertisements can be restricted or even banned if there is a significant public health risk.” They cite a growing body of evidence that watching food ads contributes to childhood obesity. Which is one of the major health risks in our country right now.

So who’s doing something about this?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, http://www.cspinet.org
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, www.commercialexploitation.org
Strategic Alliance to Promote Healthy Food and Activity Environments (California), http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa
Stay tuned!