Today’s a big day for news related to sugar and health.
In one of the more notable developments, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies released an important report — "Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? — which found that advertising sugary and other junk food and drinks on TV has enticed kids aged 12 and under to eat huge amounts of high-calorie, sugar-and-fat-filled, low-nutrient foods. And this is leading to a sharp increase in obesity and diabetes.
The Institute of Medicine (IOM), a government-chartered institution, studied the health effects of food advertising on children at the behest of Congress.
The report, the Institute claims, offers "the most comprehensive review to date of the scientific evidence on the influence of food marketing on diets of children and youth."
And the news ain’t good.
"Current food and beverage marketing practices put kids’ long-term health at risk," said committee chair J. Michael McGinnis, senior scholar at the Institute of Medicine.
This is a scary prognosis for the future of our nation’s kids. That’s why it’s imperative that action be taken.
The press release notes: "Because dietary preferences and eating patterns form early in life and set the stage for an individual’s long-term health prospects, significant changes are needed to reshape children’s awareness of healthy dietary choices, the report says.
"Manufacturers and restaurants should direct more of their resources to developing and marketing child- and youth-oriented foods, drinks, and meals that are higher in nutrients and lower in calories, fat, salt, and added sugars."
The Institute also says that "leadership from both the public and the private sectors will be needed to redirect the nation’s focus toward healthier products.
Also, read this wonderful article about the report.
More later about this report.