Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...
Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...
Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents - Federal Trade ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Assessment of <strong>Food</strong> Company Health Initiatives <strong>and</strong> Recommendations<br />
sizes <strong>to</strong> help consumers with portion control; using labeling icons <strong>and</strong> seals <strong>to</strong> provide nutrient<br />
information <strong>to</strong> consumers; <strong>and</strong> highlighting nutrition <strong>and</strong> healthy lifestyles in their advertising,<br />
including through the use of licensed characters that are popular with children. 89 In addition, two<br />
companies committed <strong>to</strong> shift their advertising <strong>to</strong> children <strong>to</strong> products meeting certain nutrition<br />
criteria. 90<br />
The 2006 Report contained a series of recommendations for the food marketing industry,<br />
including suggestions for self-regula<strong>to</strong>ry initiatives <strong>to</strong> address the ways in which food is<br />
marketed <strong>to</strong> children, <strong>and</strong> encouraged food marketers <strong>to</strong>:<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
•<br />
Increase product innovation <strong>and</strong> reformulation, especially for products marketed <strong>to</strong><br />
children, <strong>to</strong> offer more products that are lower in calories <strong>and</strong> more nutritious;<br />
Exp<strong>and</strong> their use of product packaging <strong>to</strong> help consumers control portion sizes <strong>and</strong><br />
calories, by offering smaller portions <strong>and</strong> single-serving packages <strong>and</strong> packaging<br />
nutritious, lower-calorie products in ways that are more appealing <strong>to</strong> children;<br />
Explore the effectiveness of labeling initiatives <strong>to</strong> help consumers identify lowercalorie,<br />
more nutritious foods;<br />
Improve the nutritional profile of foods marketed <strong>to</strong> children;<br />
Explore ways <strong>to</strong> educate consumers about nutrition <strong>and</strong> fitness; <strong>and</strong><br />
Improve the nutritional quality of “competitive” foods <strong>and</strong> beverages sold in<br />
schools. 91<br />
The 2006 Report also encouraged media <strong>and</strong> entertainment companies <strong>to</strong> continue <strong>to</strong> explore<br />
ways <strong>to</strong> disseminate educational messages <strong>to</strong> children <strong>and</strong> their parents about nutrition <strong>and</strong><br />
fitness, <strong>and</strong> <strong>to</strong> review <strong>and</strong> revise their practices with respect <strong>to</strong> licensing popular children’s<br />
television <strong>and</strong> movie characters for use in food advertising. 92<br />
B. Developments Since the 2005 Workshop <strong>and</strong> 2006 Report<br />
Since the Workshop <strong>and</strong> subsequent Report, food <strong>and</strong> beverage companies, <strong>and</strong> others,<br />
have responded <strong>to</strong> the problem of childhood obesity in a number of ways, including working<br />
<strong>to</strong> implement the 2006 recommendations. Their efforts have yielded significant developments,<br />
including establishment of the <strong>Children</strong>’s <strong>Food</strong> <strong>and</strong> Beverage Advertising Initiative; development<br />
of new <strong>and</strong> reformulated foods <strong>and</strong> beverages with improved nutritional profiles; increased<br />
offerings of snacks <strong>and</strong> other foods in smaller portions <strong>and</strong> single-serving packages; various<br />
labeling initiatives designed <strong>to</strong> help consumers identify “better for you” foods or <strong>to</strong> better convey<br />
nutrition information <strong>to</strong> consumers; support for public education initiatives <strong>to</strong> promote nutrition<br />
<strong>and</strong> healthy lifestyles; <strong>and</strong> the launch of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Guidelines<br />
61