Editorial: Television ads are what we eat

Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005 | 8:40 a.m.

A new federal study has concluded that television advertisements for junk food and ties to popular toys and cartoon characters fuel the nation's rising childhood obesity rate by luring children into unhealthy eating habits.

The report released last week by the Institute of Medicine suggests that, unless the food industry changes its marketing strategies, Congress may need to take measures to ensure that companies limit or cease aiming junk food campaigns at children.

It cited such influences as cereal characters the Trix Rabbit and Count Chocula. And the institute pointed to McDonald's 10-year contract to place Disney toys in its Happy Meals and similar deals Burger King has cut with Dreamworks and Nickelodeon. The study shows such branding influences children as young as 2 years old.

"We would like to think that Spongebob Squarepants, Shrek and the Disney Princesses are likable, kid-friendly characters, but they are being used to manipulate vulnerable children to make unhealthy choices. This must stop," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, said.

Harkin is credited with obtaining $1 million in federal funding to pay for the study, in which the Institute of Medicine also reviewed existing scientific research on the topic. The institute is affiliated with the non-partisan National Academy of Sciences.

Marketing to children isn't new. Icons such as Mickey Mouse, Popeye the Sailor and other characters have been used for decades to draw children and parents into buying items. That's how advertising works.

What has changed, however, is the limited amount of time families now devote to meals. Add to this the proliferation of processed convenience foods that are high in fats, carbohydrates and refined sugars, and it is easy to see how busy families slip into unhealthy eating habits.

The research concluded that food choices by children between the ages of 2 and 11 are heavily influenced by television ads. But parents ultimately hold the purse strings and should have the final word on what their children eat.

Many fast-food chains offer fruit as substitutes for french fries and milk as an alternative to soda pop. Parents need to make these choices for their children to teach them healthy eating habits. It is a job best suited for parents, and it is a task we shouldn't want Congress or the food manufacturing industry to handle.