Most of the food marketed to kids is processed. Of the 34 billion dollars spent on food marketing, 12 billion is spent on advertising to kids.

There are no health benefits from junk foods (if people know of any, let me know). There are only harms. Essentially, children are getting hooked on something that, although it is legal, is addictive (we are evolutionarily inclined to seek out sweet and salty flavors – and don’t know how to shut the cravings down).

What are the costs and benefits associated, therefore, with forbidding or limiting the processed food industries marketing of processed foods to kids, in the same way that we’ve shut it down for cigarettes (which, in fact, was not as direct)?

15% of kids 6–19 are fat or obese. ¼ of elementary kids already have risk factors for heart disease. Type 2 diabetes is on the rise. Walk down the aisles of the grocery stores and see the bright colors, cartoon characters, etc. – I’ve made my stance on what I think obvious – but I would like to hear what the problems of such limitations might be

Topics: health, nutrition, addiction, advertising, obesity, regulation