07/18/07

American Dietetic Association Commends Food Companies for Pledges to Change Marketing Techniques Directed at Children

FOR RELEASE JULY 18, 2007

Media contacts:  Jennifer Starkey, Tom Ryan
800/877-1600 ext. 4802, 4894
media@eatright.org

CHICAGO – A pledge by some of the nation’s largest food companies to change how they market food to children has won praise from the American Dietetic Association.

“When fully implemented, the pledges announced today will represent an important step toward changing the environment for nutritional health and addressing issues such as childhood obesity,” said registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Katherine Tallmadge. “These companies are exerting leadership that will mean children may have a better environment for choosing healthier food options.”

The companies announced their pledges today at “Weighing In: A Check-Up on the Marketing, Self-Regulation, and Childhood Obesity,” a forum hosted by the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Among them are Cadbury Adams USA; Campbell Soup Company; The Coca-Cola Company; General Mills Inc.; The Hershey Company; Kellogg Company; Kraft Foods Inc.; Mars Inc.; McDonald’s USA; PepsiCo Inc. and Unilever United States.

ADA specifically cited new approaches that:

  • Shift the balance in food advertising across multiple media platforms by focusing advertising on foods that meet limits on calories, fats, salt and added sugars
  • Restrict use of licensed third-party characters only on foods meeting nutrition standards
  • Commit to independent monitoring and reporting.

In addition, in its ongoing efforts to improve the health and nutrition of the nation’s children, ADA is also a member of a joint Congressional and Federal Communications Commission Task Force on Media and Childhood Obesity, formed by U.S. Sens. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and FCC Commissioners Deborah Taylor Tate and Michael Copps.

The task force includes members from the food and beverage industry, media companies and other health groups and advocacy organizations. Its goal is to provide a forum for the public and private sectors to examine the impact of the media on childhood obesity rates and collaborate on voluntary recommendations to address the rising rates of overweight children.

“These types of public-private collaborations offer some of the best opportunities to address childhood obesity because they recognize that this is an issue that does not have one cause or one solution,” Tallmadge said. “Every member of a community – from parents and schools at the local level to elected officials and government agencies at the national level – plays a vital role in providing children with healthful nutrition messages and in modeling healthy behaviors.”

With more than 67,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

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