Here’s a problem, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic:
The annual National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about one-third of U.S. children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. In total, about 25 million U.S. children and adolescents are overweight or nearly overweight.
So what’s the big deal? Well, one of them is, of course, diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health:
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in school-aged children. About 75 percent of all newly diagnosed cases of type 1 diabetes occur in individuals younger than 18 years of age. Most children and adolescents diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese.
But today’s good news goes like this:
Kellogg Co., the world’s largest cereal maker, has agreed to raise the nutritional value of cereals and snacks it markets to children. The company said it won’t promote foods in TV, radio, print or Web site ads that reach audiences at least half of whom are under age 12 unless a single serving of the product meets these standards:
- No more than 200 calories.
- No trans fat and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat.
- No more than 230 milligrams of sodium, except for Eggo frozen waffles.
- No more than 12 grams of sugar, not counting sugar from fruit, dairy and vegetables.
Kellogg said it would reformulate products to meet these criteria or stop marketing them to children under 12 by the end of 2008. A third of the cereals it markets to children in the U.S. fall outside standards.
We fall on the side of social libertarianism, but there’s always a caveat: the protection of children. If adults (and adults includes companies) are harming children, the culture as a whole has an obligation to protect these children. This protection, of course, also includes protecting children from their parents and guardians. Now, we don’t believe the cops should show up at someone’s door if they serve their kids caramel apples and Twinkies for dinner. But we also have no problem forcing companies to stop marketing horrible food to kids or making the food to begin with. As a culture, we’ve already accepted this manner of treating children. That’s why there are social workers, mandatory physical education classes, child-protective services, foster families, age requirements for cigarettes, after-school programs, and The State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
You might be thinking: So Matt, or should I say Mr. Doom and Gloom, what’s a progressive to do? Well, thanks for asking other voice in my head. Some of the solutions are pretty obvious: encourage your children to exercise, steer them clear of television and video games, eat as a family, control their portions of food, feed them foods high in whole grains and protein, and low in sugars.
But here’s another way — pressure companies to do what’s right instead of what’s good for the stockholders. How can we do this? Well, since it’s the American pastime, we can always sue. We can write letters to our government officials and the companies themselves. Or, we can do the easiest thing possible: we can boycott. Whether or not we have kids of our own, door number three is always the most powerful, the most potent, and, in this case, the most immediately healthful for our American children. As progressives, let’s not forget the discerning power of our pockets and purses.
Shot of Apple Jacks by this find photographer.
