A few months ago, my son came home from school with a water bottle, magnet, and toothbrush all branded by a local orthodontist group.  As it turns out, the orthodontist had been in his classroom that day talking about dental health.  While I’m not opposed to credentialed health professionals sharing important health information with kids, I am opposed to branded marketing materials being given to my child without my permission and at school.  I actually sent the items back, and called the business letting them know why I thought it was inappropriate and that because of their actions I would never use their company or services.

Some of you might think my actions were a bit over the top, but I think it was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” for me.  Kids have parents and guardians for a reason – because their brains and intellect aren’t capable of reasoning at the same level as adults.  The job of all us parents is to guide our kids, help them learn the “rules” – all until the age when they are physically, mentally, and emotionally ready to make decisions on their own.  Parents are the gatekeepers.  It’s what you do, it’s what I do.  If the orthodontist wanted to do the right thing, she simply would have given the talk on dental health and not felt the need to hand out the marketing materials. 

Marketing and advertising of food to kids is a hot topic right now, too.  Consider this example.  With the recent launch of Toy Story 3 (the beauty of having kids is that you have a ready-made excuse to see great animated movies!), kids will beg for the box of cereal with a Buzz Lightyear figure in it or plead with mom and dad to take them to the local fast food restaurant for a Woody toy.  Are these kids thinking through whether that particular cereal is a nutritious choice or whether there are healthy items at that restaurant?  No.  They just want the toy.  That’s the way their minds work.  Layer this with the fact that many of the foods advertised to kids aren’t the healthiest choices, giving parents plenty of reasons to be fired up. 

Today, there are no laws or regulations in place indicating what foods can or can’t be advertised to kids, how often they can be advertised, where, etc.  The guidelines are currently voluntary for the food industry.  The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer advocacy group, completed a survey of 128 companies to determine their policies for which foods can be advertised to kids.  CSPI graded the companies on their policies, and in the grading no companies received an A, 16 were in the B’s, 17 a C, 7 a D, and 95 companies received an F (87 for not having policies related to marketing food to kids).  Clearly, there is work to be done.

At the federal policy and advocacy level, there is much activity around this topic.  But every voice counts.   Just like I did with the local orthodontist, send an email to your favorite brands, talk to your local senators and representatives, or speak up at school. 

Visit nuval.com and consider this nutrition ranking system as the guide to which foods can be advertised to kids.