Day 17 - Feeding Little Minds & Bodies

I was definitely excited to read the headline in Ad Age: “FTC Could Set Standards for Food Marketing Aimed at Teens.” With two small boys I worry constantly about what they’re feeding their minds and bodies. The article states “the bill signed by President Barack Obama today calls for several government studies, including one examining whether the government should set standards for determining which foods are healthy and appropriate to market to youths as old as 17.

The bill calls for the Federal Trade Commission, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an “Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children,” according to a report attached to the legislation.

This is where I become a little cynical because the US government has been down this road many times before. For all the aligning to reduce or cut out the advertising of fattening or dubious foods to children, almost all have started with “studies” and almost none have resulted in legislation:

2008: The FTC produced a report on junk food advertising to kids. No new rules were enacted.
2006: The Children’s Advertising Review Unit corralled food companies into a voluntary effort to restrain their marketing to kids — but there were no new laws enacted.
2006: There was another FTC report, which also staved off regulation by encouraging voluntary acts by advertisers.
2005: The Institute of Medicine came as close as anyone to tying TV advertising to the obesity epidemic, but no laws were changed.

The reports have brought some interesting points to light. Here is a selection of points from the 2008 report:

Companies reported spending $745 million, or 46 percent of all reported youth marketing expenditures, on TV ads.

The cost of TV ads and “happy meal” toys promoted by fast-food chains was $520 million in 2006, “more than twice the amount spent on child-directed marketing in any other food category.”

Companies spent $116 million marketing soda in schools. In total, soda companies spend $20 per teenager promoting soft drinks, which now account for 11% of those kids’ daily caloric intake.

The FTC lists more than 80 kids’ movies and TV shows that have food marketing tie-ins, from Dora the Explorer to Yu-Gi-Oh! (Dora, in fact, has eight food brands attached to her.)

Although most companies have promised to curtail in-school marketing, “one company tested a beverage product by providing samples in middle and senior high school cafeterias.”

Are you surprised that there is an obesity epidemic in Western Nations?

I am optimistic that Obama will do what he can but with the economy and healthcare at the top of his priorities I won’t be surprised if nothing happens.

I am surprised by my enthusiasm increasing with my exercises. My ropejumps are fun but as Patrick suggested I will try some running as a departure. My arms and back are sore from yesterdays workout and my sons are helping me by riding bronco as I do pushups.

I hit a wall with food yesterday and it may have been a self fulfilling prophesy, I don’t know. My dinner was so blah I just didn’t finish it and I didn’t eat anything else for the rest of the evening. At about 11:00pm I was sitting in bed hungry but I shook it off and went to sleep.

Today I tried cilantro, tarragon and cumin separately on my foods and I enjoyed them very much. I’m in the experimental stages and will let you know when I’ve got something good. I also am putting cinnamon in my coffee for a change and find it works well with spicy dishes too. I’m trying rosemary and peppermint tomorrow.

See you then.