Analyzing the FTC's Landmark Food Marketing to Kids Study

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In a message dated 8/7/2008 1:37:42 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,

ccfc@... writes:

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission released a landmark report on food

marketing to children that paints a frightening picture of American childhood

immersed in sophisticated, integrated marketing campaigns for food and

beverages. Today, Michele Simon - the newest member of CCFC's Steering

Committee,

author of the acclaimed book Appetite for Profit, and Research and Policy

Director for the alcohol watchdog Marin Institute - wrote an insightful

analysis

of the report's findings for the Daily Kos. We're passing it along because

it's the best explanation of the 120-page report we've read and we wanted to

share with you the unique perspective Michele will be bringing to CCFC. So

please take a look and feel free to join the lively discussion on marketing to

kids in the comment section following the post.

It's Official: Big Food Targets Kids

by _Michele Simon_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=FBDIGlrw0ZXj+EahuRLZaNze\

TEk2hZK/)

Aug 07, 2008

It's a rare day when I think the Federal Trade Commission has actually

performed a valuable public service and lived up to its motto, " For the

Consumer. "

But last week, the agency charged with protecting us from unscrupulous

marketers (among other corporate aggression) released a landmark _report_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=jg/qYMld7kKITt4PSDGK+tze\

TEk2hZK

/) on food marketing to children. At the request of Congress, FTC

subpoenaed 44 food and beverage companies to find out just how much money is

spent

targeting youth with food marketing. While the recommendations are worthless

(more on that later), the data is priceless.

In case you're not up for slogging through all 120 pages plus appendixes,

here are what I consider the most revealing highlights. On expenditures, the 44

reporting companies spent approximately $1,618,600,000 to promote food and

beverages to children and adolescents in the U.S. in 2006. _Continue Reading:

It's Official Big Food Targets Kids_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=Ra8H3wMAFE4iZxP+l90iutze\

TEk2hZK/)

The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

_www.commercialfreechildhood.org_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=BEr8cGSpLdL3guwnR/KGLtze\

TEk2hZK/)

_Support CCFC_

(http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2 & c=XDKRxSDfdboBdrFrvavh4Nze\

TEk2hZK/) : We're rely on you because we will not

compromise our commitment to children by accepting corporate funding. Between

now and

September 5, donate $75 or more and receive a signed copy of Diane E.

Levin's and Kilbourne's _So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and

What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids._

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Jan Patenaude, RD, CLT

Consultant, Writer, Speaker

Director of Medical Nutrition

Signet Diagnostic Corporation

(Mountain Time)

Fax:

DineRight4@...

Mediator Release Testing and LEAP Diet Protocol for Irritable Bowel

Syndrome, Migraine, Fibromyalgia and more, caused by food sensitivity

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