Listen to this podcast to understand the true impact of junk food marketing on kids! An estimated 10 billion dollars is spent on marketing junk food to children. Learn about the marketing tactics used and ways to prevent your child’s diet from being harmed by these ad campaigns.

Guest speaker Susan Lynn, author of the book ‘Consuming Kids’, discusses the disturbing trends of mass market food corporations donating teaching materials to preschools. For example “art creativity with Froot Loops” comes with educational materials and boxes of Froot Loops. The use of cartoon characters to market junk food is also cause for concern.

Another podcast guest represents the Mendez Foundation, a prevention and wellness organization that develops school curriculum for teaching kids to make healthy food choices. Their newest program is designed to educate kids about the importance of a whole foods diet and exercise.

Listen to the podcast here

What can parents do to combat “junk food marketing?
Watch out for media character marketing and discuss this form of advertising with your children
Discuss food advertising and the impact of media with your kids.
Get involved with groups active in the rights of children media campaign - visit www.commercialfreechildhood.org for more info.
Teach your kids to read ingredients
Help guide your children in make healthy choices by choosing foods of high nutritional value that will help their body to grow.
Teach your kids to be ‘ad’ detectives
Be a good role model for food choices.

More info on the Mendez Foundation Healthy Food Curriculum For Schools

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