Testifying before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Competition, Infrastructure, and Foreign Commerce of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation during their discussions on the impact of food advertising on childhood obesity, ANA President Bob Liodice warned any ban would “curtail if not end children’s broadcasting on free television and ad-supported cable.”
The hearings follow several studies showing a direct link between food marketing and fat kids. Sure, most food today is filled with too many calories and fat, is over-process and is bad for you but no marketer is forcing that food down a kid’s throat of forcing them to sit, hours on end, in front of the television. If kids just got off their asses, went outside, and ran around the house a few times every day, that would be a great start towards reducing the fatness of youth.
I’m not saying food marketers are doing nothing wrong. They are. They are promoting food that is fast to make, over-processed and not very health to eat. The other problem is that “bad” food tastes so damn good! Who wouldn’t want a juicy cheeseburger instead of a head of lettuce? Work is needed on both sides of this issue. More food that is actually healthy and affordable needs to be marketed. At the same time, GameBoy and PlayStation usage needs to be limited and physical activity encouraged.
