Underage, Overweight: The Federal Government Needs to Halt the Marketing of Unhealthy Food to Kids
The food industry can’t be trusted to self-regulate junk food marketing to children and the federal government must take further steps, argues Scientific American. “Allowing companies to decide for themselves whether to peddle junk food to kids is a fox-and-henhouse policy this country simply cannot afford any longer. ”
Last year, a group of US agencies proposed standards for foods and beverages that are marketed to children between the ages of two and 17. The group is due to report by July.
Scientific American argues that the proposed standards have one problem: they are voluntary. They should be mandatory, not optional, and the FDA should implement and enforce them.
Read more: Scientific American, May 2010