By NPR
Published: March 11, 2010
The Center for Science in the Public Interest issued a report card this week on 128 food and entertainment companies that market to children. Specifically, the group was grading the companies' policies with regard to food marketing aimed at children. Three-quarters of companies received an F, either for having weak policies in place or none at all.
The highest grade, a B+, went to Mars Inc., whose corporate policy includes not marketing its candy bars to children under the age of 12. Among the worst performers was Lucasfilms, which markets its "Star Wars" movie characters in conjunction with McDonald's Happy Meals. CSPI gave the company a failing grade for not having a policy in place for marketing to children.
According to NPR, companies spend $2 billion a year marketing to kids--a number the CSPI says is adding to the nation's obesity epidemic.
Click here to continue on to
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/03/consumer_group_gives_food_adve.html
