Marketing cereal leaves bitter taste
Study says children are target of presweetened breakfast industry
BY SONYA COLBERG
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Published: October 27, 2009
Whether it’s a lop-eared rabbit or a smiley leprechaun, ads for some of the most sugary cereals for children get the biggest push on television, according to a new Yale University study.
In this Oct. 20, 2009 file photo, a box of Kellogg's Pops breakfast cereal with a "Smart Choices" green check printed on its front is shown in San Francisco. A food labeling program created by U.S. manufacturers is being voluntarily halted after federal regulators said it could be misleading to consumers.(AP Photo/Russel A. Daniels, file)
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• Reese’s Pops
• Corn Pops
• Lucky Charms
• Golden Grahams
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch Top five most-nutritious cereals tested:
• Mini-Wheats
• Organic Wild Puffs
• Honey Sunshine
• Mighty Bites
• Clifford Crunch Source: Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity
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For more on the study, go online to cerealfacts.org.
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Views differ
Hines said she’d like to see cereal makers develop and market more nutritious cereals that would appeal to entire families.
But General Mills spokeswoman Heidi Geller said cereal already may be the best breakfast choice.
"In fact, kids who eat cereal more frequently, including presweetened cereals, tend to weigh less than kids who eat cereal less frequently — and they are better nourished,” she said.
Children are exposed to more marketing for high-sugar cereals than any other packaged food, researchers found. Cereal companies spend about $156 million annually on television marketing.
"We would definitely agree that is not in the best interests of those kids,” said Judy Duncan, director of Strong and Healthy Oklahoma. "They’re getting that message in the media that they see Saturday morning or any time that they’ve got the television turned on.”
Parents’ help urged
Duncan said kids will eat more nutritious cereals, though nutritionists say parents may have to introduce a food 20 to 30 times before a young person will develop a taste for it.
She said parents should simply get high-sugar, highly processed foods out of the house and offer fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, and whole foods.
High-sugar cereals, even though they are a small percentage of daily meals, lead to more calorie consumption and go hand-in-hand with less physical activity, said Matt Jacobs, physical activity coordinator with the state Health Department.
"That’s a straight and narrow path toward obesity,” Jacobs said. "The best thing we can do is promote those healthier cereals because we know they’re out there. All those cereal companies have healthier cereals. They’re just marketing the less healthy ones to the kids.”
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We don't have standard cable, so we don't get the local channels (Saturday morning cartoons) and we don't get Nickelodeon and Disney channels. So our kids aren't bombarded by these ads and we don't have a battle at the grocery store. Our no means no and we are in charge in the house, not the kids. Ultimately we are responsible for them and it's a cop out to blame others.
Sometimes local outlets try to fool the F.C.C. by fudging on what it considers children's programming. Like KWTV once tried claim programs that simply featured kids satisfied the requirements.
I work hard to discuss these issues with my students and kids. I use ideas and tips such as those outlined in these SmartBean articles which I find to be very useful for this purpose - http://www.thesmartbean.com/magazine/children-technology-magazine/media-alert-dangers-and-guidelines-for-safe-media-consumption-by-kids/ has very useful guidelines, and http://www.thesmartbean.com/magazine/children-technology-magazine/defence-against-the-dark-arts-teaching-your-kids-to-be-critical-consumers-of-messages-in-media/ - "Defense Against the Dark Arts: Teaching Kids to be Critical Consumers of Media" has concrete ideas that all kids must be made aware of, in my opinion.