It has taken 30 years, but the government has finally decided that it’s time to protect children from companies that try to sell them junk food.
Back in the late 1970s, the FTC suggested a ban on all advertising that is directed to young children, not just food advertising, arguing that advertising to young children is unfair because kids don’t understand what ads are and can easily be hoodwinked.
Sadly, the food, toy, broadcasting, and advertising industries convinced Congress to repeal much of the FTC’s authority to regulate advertising to children, which still hampers the FTC today.
As Congress looked the other way for 30 years, an obesity time-bomb exploded. The percentage of young children and teens who are overweight or obese has tripled – which has led many to question the wisdom of exposing unsophisticated youngsters to sophisticated advertising for pizzas, hamburger-and-fries meals, sugary drinks, and the like.
Michelle Obama’s passion to improve children’s diets and health helped put the issue on the front burner.
The proposed voluntary guidelines would limit unhealthy fats, sodium, and added sugars in foods advertised to children under 18. Advertised foods would also have to include some fruit, vegetables, extra-lean meat or poultry, or other healthful ingredients.
The advertising industry immediately charged that the guidelines were “overly restrictive” and “sufficiently onerous that they would basically block a substantial amount of advertising.” We hope so!
If the proposal is finalized, we’ll see dramatic reductions in ads for unhealthy foods on children’s TV shows and Internet sites. Though the guidelines are voluntary, they would still pressure advertisers to clean up their act.
June 13 is the deadline for the public to comment on the proposal. You can bet that the food industry will weigh in big time.
To voice your views, write to FTC Project No. P094513, FTC, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex W), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20580, or file a comment at: https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/foodmarketedtochildreniwg
Rosanne T. Spinner
Certified Holistic Health Coach
New Hyde Park
