US industry body the Grocery Manufacturers/Food Products Association (GMA/FPA) yesterday (21 March) took part in the inaugural meeting of Media and Childhood Obesity: Today and Tomorrow, a joint task force that will be tacking the issues surrounding childhood obesity and advertising.
The GMA/FPA is a member of the Task Force which is being spearheaded by Senator Sam Brownback, Senator Tom Harkin, FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin and Commissioners Deborah Taylor Tate and Michael Copps.
“GMA/FPA and our member companies are committed to helping Americans live healthier lifestyles. We are very pleased to be asked to participate on the joint task force ‘Media and Childhood Obesity,'” said GMA/FPA senior vice president and chief government affairs officer Mary Sophos. “The food and beverage industry recognises that it can help combat childhood obesity by providing a wider range of nutritious product choices and marketing these choices in ways that promote healthy lifestyles.”
Sophos added that the taskforce would provide a forum for the public and private sectors to explore voluntary efforts and initiatives that will address the alarming rise in childhood obesity rates.
“The task force participants represent a wide range of interests from Congress, the Administration, consumer advocacy groups, the food and beverage industry, media companies, advertisers and experts from healthcare and academia,” she continued. “For more than three decades, the self-regulatory guidelines of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) have helped to ensure that advertising to children by food companies is age and nutritionally appropriate, and reflects a balanced approach to health and nutrition.”
Other participants in the scheme include: the American Diabetes Association, American Society for Nutrition, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Association, Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola Company, General Mills, Kellogg Company, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Ion Media Networks, Viacom, Discovery Channel, Walt Disney Company, Sesame Workshop, Black Family Channel, Telemundo, The Beverly LaHaye Institute, The Benton Foundation, Children Now, Common Sense Media, The Center for Screen Time Awareness, PTA, Parents Television Council, The Ad Council, Association of National Advertisers, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies.
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