I hope this helps the child obesity issues.

[wombat2u2004]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Some of America's largest food and drink companies, such as Coca-Cola Co. and General Mills Inc., will adopt stricter controls on advertising aimed at children under 12, according to media reports on Wednesday.

Some companies have agreed to curb advertising ahead of a Federal Trade Commission hearing on Wednesday that is expected to exert pressure on food and drink makers for more responsible marketing plans as a means to help address childhood obesity problems, the New York Times and Associated Press reported.

The scope of the self-imposed marketing controls vary from company to company, according to the reports.

The U.S. division of McDonalds Corp., for example, said it will advertise only two types of "Happy Meal" to children under 12 -- one with chicken nuggets, apple dippers with caramel dip and low-fat milk, or one with a hamburger, apple dippers and milk, said AP. The meals meet the company's requirement of containing less than 600 calories, and derive no more than 35 percent of calories from fat, and have no more than 35 percent total sugar content.

General Mills will cut its advertising of Trix cereal for the under-12 age group, according to the New York Times, but will continue to run marketing geared towards children for another of its cereal brands, Cocoa Puffs, which has one less gram of sugar per serving.

PepsiCo, which owns Frito-Lay, Quaker Foods and such drinks as Pepsi and Gatorade, will only advertise two of its products to children -- Baked Cheetos Cheese Flavored Snacks and its Gatorade line of energy drinks, AP said.

Other companies adopting varied restrictions on advertising to the under-12s include the Campbell Soup Co., Hershey Co., Kraft Foods Inc., and Cadbury Adams, the maker of Bubblicious chewing gum, according to the reports.

[columbine]

There's also a lot of energy going into creating safe places for kids to play, so they can have some fun without getting recruited by criminals or hit by cars. Sports are fine for kids who can actually make the team, but people are starting to build more playgrounds for the kids who'd otherwise just end up playing video games.

Love, Columbine

[wombat2u2004]

There's also a lot of energy going into creating safe places for kids to play, so they can have some fun without getting recruited by criminals or hit by cars. Sports are fine for kids who can actually make the team, but people are starting to build more playgrounds for the kids who'd otherwise just end up playing video games.

Love, Columbine

Well, thats a very good idea. After all....those kids are the future.
Wom

[jackie]

I don't think it will make a difference unless parents make the changes in their children's life.

[finn's mom]

I think every little bit helps. Baby steps. It's going to take a lot more than that to stop the childhood obesity epidemic, obviously, but I don't see how it can hurt.

[Catty1]

It's a part of the solution, anyway. Short of a boycott of all the junk stuff.

And parents should be changing their own lifestyle habits...that's the best way to change a child's health.

I battled overweight all my life - my mom was healthy, but I followed in my dad's "foodsteps". It was a hard training to overcome...ironically, it was easier for longer after he died...though I would gladly have another 30 pounds if I could have my dad back.

He smartened up after a mild heart attack at 62.

[catnapper]

I guess Trix will have to come up with a new slogan... "Silly rabbit, Trix is for kids" just doesn't fit their new marketing plan. I was wondering why they changed their shape back to the way it was when I was a kid, instead of the fruit shape.

Childhood obesity is awful, but really, its the parents who BUY this stuff for their kids. Yes, I am well aware kids respond hugely to marketing. My nephew could barely say mommy and daddy when the Disney film Madagascar came out. Don't ya know that thanks to all the marketing on commercials (including things like Happy Meals) my nephew could say "Madagascar" perfectly? Ultimately, it comes down to the parent buying the food and putting it on their plate (or in their cereal bowls). Nobody wants to be a parent anymore. They want to be their child's friend.