Katrina Gotts EMAT 620

 3 leading causes of death: Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke  Diabetes (including type II which until recently was very rare in children)  High Blood Pressure  Psychosocial issues  Osteoporosis  Deficient Calcium Intake

 Marketing  Unhealthy food at school  30% of average child’s calories come from sweets, soft drinks, salty snacks and fast foods  Use of cartoon characters to sell food  Using toys, games, or rewards to entice purchasing  Less physical activity  More television, video games, computer  Larger portion sizes

 $10 billion is spent annually marketing specifically to children  The goal is brand recognition - by using television, celebrity endorsements, toys, games, competitions, sports events, songs and movies  Creates items geared specifically for kids to eat, undermining parent choices and decisions

 1/2 of young people in the U.S. get either breakfast or lunch from school, 1/10 get both.  Schools have vending machines, concessions, classroom parties, a la carte sales, snack bars  The DGA recommends (not requires) that school’s meet nutrition guidelines, however, most schools still fall short of these guidelines

 After parents and caregivers, schools have the most influence on a child  Schools must provide healthy food choices  Schools must provide nutrition education  Schools must model and reinforce healthy eating  Curtail vending machines, soft drinks, candy, unhealthy snacks, etc. sold on school grounds

 Eat more vegetables and fruit  Eat meals with family  Increase physical activity  Government must step in to control child- focused marketing

 Davies, Sue. Marketing of foods to children: a new language. Education Review 19:2,  Nestle, Marion. (2006) Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity – A Matter of Policy. The New England Journal of Medicine 354:  Roblin, Lynn. (2007) Childhood Obesity: food, nutrient, and eating-habit trends and influence. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 32: