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WEEKLY NEWS 2: Food Ads Contribute To Obesity

According to a report published by a national science advisory panel on Tuesday, junk food advertisements on television have had an unhealthy effect on American children. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has found a clear link between junk food advertisements and the amount of unhealthful foods that children eat.

The IOM claims that most of the foods marketed to children are high in sugar, calories, salt, and fat, and are low in nutrients, such as vitamins and fiber. The Institute is recommending that food and beverage manufacturers develop more nutritious products as well as the advertising to promote them. They also called upon Congress to pass laws which would make these changes mandatory if they are not done voluntarily.

Health experts are concerned about the sharp increase in obesity and diabetes in teens and younger children. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 40 years, and diabetes in children has doubled in the past decade. About 16 percent of U.S. children between the ages of 6-19 are considered obese, meaning that they weigh 20 percent more than their ideal body weight.

The IOM reports that the top food categories marketed to children from 1994-2004, beginning with those most frequently advertised, are: candies (non-chocolate), chewing gum, snacks, chocolate candies, cereals, cookies, meals, ice cream and frozen yogurt, pasta, and yogurt.

--Written by Patricia Daniels

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Read WEEKLY NEWS 3: Virginia Changing School Lunches