As the latest attempt to combat the mounting obesity catastrophe in the United States, The Center for Science in the Public Interest has decided to file a case against Kellogg Co., the maker of cereals like Frosted Flakes, and Viacom Inc., running the Nickelodeon cable network, as the two are continuously advertising junk food among children. Tony the Tiger is promoting sugary cereals on the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon show which are high in sugar content and fat. The court is also asked to prevent the companies from promoting junk foods in venues where 15 percent or more of the audience is under age 8.
Nickelodeon opines that they are acting as a positive force in edifying kids to live healthier lifestyles, and they would continue to encourage balanced marketing.
While Kellogg also maintained that it would also inform both kids and adults about importance of balanced nutrition and physical activity.
But the fact is that the two are not doing that, out of 168 ads reviewed for food that are shown on Nickelodeon, 88 were for foods with poor nutritional quality. Most of the ads were targeting children that are very young.
No matter how strict the parents get, but they have to succumb to failure as they are forced to buy for their kids products that they know are not good for them. All thanks to the alluring colorful ads featuring kids’ favorite cartoon characters.
Via: Reuters
