Health News
- Schools Keep Adjusting To National Nutrition Guidelines
Paducah-area school districts "continue to adjust school meals to ensure students are fed complete, healthy meals every day," Kathleen Fox reports for The Paducah Sun. The revised National School Lunch Program "places the emphasis on portion size and...
- Health Coalition Asks Nickelodeon To Stop Marketing Sugary And Fatty Snacks To Children
A coalition of health groups thinks maybe it's time to enlist SpongeBob in the childhood obesity fight. Earlier this week, the groups asked the Nickelodeon Channel to stop airing commercials that promote unhealthy foods with the help of the doofy...
- New Regs Could Change Way Food Industry Markets To Children
"The federal government proposed sweeping new guidelines on Thursday that could push the food industry to overhaul how it advertises cereal, soda pop, snacks, restaurant meals and other foods to children," The New York Times' William Neuman reports....
- ?kids? Meals? And Toys
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom San Francisco has been a national leader in healthier eating for kids, starting with fast food restaurants. A new law went into effect this past week: no free toys included for meals not meeting more healthful standards for calories,...
- New Dietary Guidelines Stress Portion Control, Less Sodium
While the government has issued new dietary guidelines for us to follow, it's worth asking if anyone is listening. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published jointly every 5 years since 1980 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human...
Health News
Disney Boosts Healthy Nutrition for Kids
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
While The Disney Company has always been linked to children?s entertainment, they?re now taking a bold new step to promote children?s health. All food products advertised on their ABC-TV child-focused TV programs, radio stations, and web sites must adhere to new nutritional guidelines. And their theme parks will also modify their food offerings, with changes including a 25% reduction in sodium. Considering that Disney parks serve nearly 12 million meals to children every year, this is a big step. While these changes won?t occur until 2015 due to existing contracts, it?s a move in the right direction.
Disney has already been an active leader in this area, when, in 2006, they largely reduced the association of the Disney name and popular characters with foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. You might recall that the ?Toy Story? gang of Buzz Lightyear and company were removed from McDonald?s Happy Meals and that Mickey Mouse disappeared from boxes of Pop-Tarts.
The most recent changes are based on federal guidelines, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Federal Trade Commission?s proposed guidelines for food marketing to children. You can check out these guidelines for yourself at www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/mohl.
While this is a great step in the right direction to limit the sale of junk food to children, children and their parents are not being encouraged to replace junk food with healthier foods, fruits, and vegetables. However, Disney-licensed foods in grocery stores that meet the criteria for limited amounts of sugar, fat, and sodium will display a new logo ? Mickey Mouse ears with a check mark.
So this is a major step in the right direction for healthier eating for children. But will it have a lasting impact? What do you think?
- Schools Keep Adjusting To National Nutrition Guidelines
Paducah-area school districts "continue to adjust school meals to ensure students are fed complete, healthy meals every day," Kathleen Fox reports for The Paducah Sun. The revised National School Lunch Program "places the emphasis on portion size and...
- Health Coalition Asks Nickelodeon To Stop Marketing Sugary And Fatty Snacks To Children
A coalition of health groups thinks maybe it's time to enlist SpongeBob in the childhood obesity fight. Earlier this week, the groups asked the Nickelodeon Channel to stop airing commercials that promote unhealthy foods with the help of the doofy...
- New Regs Could Change Way Food Industry Markets To Children
"The federal government proposed sweeping new guidelines on Thursday that could push the food industry to overhaul how it advertises cereal, soda pop, snacks, restaurant meals and other foods to children," The New York Times' William Neuman reports....
- ?kids? Meals? And Toys
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom San Francisco has been a national leader in healthier eating for kids, starting with fast food restaurants. A new law went into effect this past week: no free toys included for meals not meeting more healthful standards for calories,...
- New Dietary Guidelines Stress Portion Control, Less Sodium
While the government has issued new dietary guidelines for us to follow, it's worth asking if anyone is listening. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published jointly every 5 years since 1980 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human...