Durbin Co-Chairs Hearing on Childhood Obesity

Press Release

Durbin Co-Chairs Hearing on Childhood Obesity

United States Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) co-chaired a hearing on the effects of food marketing on childhood obesity today, two months after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a comprehensive report on the issue. While childhood obesity rates are at an all-time high, no scientific link between marketing and obesity rates has been proven. It is clear, however, that food marketing is one of many factors that contribute to unhealthy eating habits and a lack of physical activity in children. The report recommends that food and media companies make a formal effort to limit food marketing aimed towards children to "healthy" foods based on objective, uniform standards.

"The battle against childhood obesity reminds me of our campaign against tobacco. While the government spends pennies to educate kids and parents about nutrition and exercise, the fast-food industry spends millions to lure kids to unhealthy foods," Durbin said. "An apple is going to lose to a french-fry every time with this economic reality."

In the last 40 years, childhood obesity has tripled in the United States. Obese children are far more likely to face obesity-related chronic diseases throughout their lives. As obesity numbers in children rise, so do the instances of diseases previously thought to affect only older, obese individuals - namely type 2 or "adult-onset" diabetes.

Advertising and marketing of food to children is a particular concern because psychologically, children lack the ability to distinguish between information intended to persuade and information intended to educate or entertain.

Durbin pointed to our experience with smoking as an example for ways to curtail dangerous trends. Since the Surgeon General issued a health warning about smoking in 1964, the number of smokers in the United States has decreased by 50 percent. Limiting advertisements, providing cessation services, and educating families and communities have all played a role in the reduction of smokers. Durbin suggested that a similar effort may also be effective with childhood obesity.

Durbin urged the food and marketing industries to continue to improve marketing tactics and to adopt the FTC's recommendation to formally adopt a set of uniform standards for marketing to children. Durbin singled out the efforts of Kraft Foods, a witness at today's hearing, as an example of successful self-regulation. Kraft has made a commitment, along with several other food companies, to limit marketing to children to only healthy foods.

Others testifying at today's hearing were representatives of the FTC, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC); representatives from Viacom/MTV/Nickelodeon; Children Now and the Institute of Medicine.

The hearing was convened jointly by Senator Durbin's Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government and Senator Tom Harkin's (D-IA) Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services.

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