August 9, 2011, Reuters, Amy Norton
Children are seeing fewer sugary, fatty foods advertised on TV, but unhealthy fare still makes up the bulk of food commercials they see, a new study suggests.
What’s more, researchers found, children were actually seeing more fast-food commercials in 2009 compared with six years earlier.
The study, reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, was aimed at gauging the effects of a voluntary food industry program called the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI).
The initiative began in 2006, in response to calls from the …

Study published August 4 in International Journal of Obesity that found that removing removing television advertising of high-fat and/or high-sugar food and beverages to Australian children could increase health and save health care money.
The cost-effectiveness of removing television advertising of high-fat and/or high-sugar food and beverages to Australian children.
Objective: To model the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of banning television (TV) advertisements in Australia for energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and beverages during children’s peak viewing times.Methods:Benefits were modelled as changes in body mass index (BMI) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) saved. Intervention costs …