Thursday, July 14, 2011

More on advertising junk food to children

U.S. News and World Report reported on the food industry's response to the Obama administration's recommendation regarding advertising junk food to children. The administration advised setting nutrition guidelines for the kind of food that can be limited to children. A coalition of the nation's largest food makers has set its own, less stringent guidelines, to go into effect by December 31, 2013.

The guidelines and recommendations are all part of an ongoing discussion about the influence of media on children's nutritional habits. The discussion should continue, not just on a policy level, but on an interpersonal level as well. Parents, doctors, teachers and kids should have continuing discussion about how media tries to influence the decisions we make. Let's call it a lesson in media literacy, with a little health literacy on the side.

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