Beverage Industry Responds to Latest CDC Data Brief-2/29/12                               The ABA takes the latest CDC’s study as an opportunity to defend beverages. It emphasizes that “this report shows that food, not beverages are the leading source of calories from added sugars” and that “beverages do not uniquely contribute to obesity.”more

Energy Drinks, Coffee, Soda: a Health Dilemma?-2/29/12                                         Nurse practitioner and wellness consultant Lisa Vasile discusses the problematic trend in consumption of energy drinks among children and teens.more 

MIAMI CAPITAL GRILLE WORKERS TURN UP THE HEAT; 5th MAJOR CITY TO JOIN “DIGNITY AT DARDEN” CAMPAIGN-2/29/12                                                                   Miami Capital Grille workers have turned up the heat at their restaurant. Tired of racial discrimination, hostile treatment, and wage theft, these workers, along with the support of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and community allies, have joined the growing national movement for “Dignity at Darden”.more 

Packaged Facts sees rise of foods targeted to specific health conditions-2/24/12      A new report finds increased sales in targeted foods and beverages according to specific health conditions, such as cholesterol or digestive health management.more

Shills and Cruel Jokes(Video)-2/20/12                                                                          
Labor Beat: Parents and teachers protest "show trial" hearings they say are being used close their Chicago schools. more

Is McDonald’s losing that Lovin’ feeling? 2/20/12                                                     Writer Maureen Morrison discusses the unusual position in which McDonald’s has found itself: though the chain is enormously successful, according to an internal monitoring system McDonald’s consistently ranks lower than its competitors with respect to food quality, nutritional value, and other indicators of quality. more

Swarthmore College and several other campuses have launched a campaign to divest from fossil fuels-2/19/12                                                                                      On campuses across the country, students are writing a new chapter in the youth environmental justice movement. The last five years of student organizing have won huge victories. “Sustainability” is on the tip of every college administrator’s tongue, and 674 institutions have signed the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment to long-term carbon neutrality. Colleges have taken real leadership in the fight for climate justice.more

Coke is crowned by family media watchdogs-2/18/12                                               The Parents Television Council has awarded Coca-Cola its “Crown Award” for family-friendly programming. The company received the award for “sponsoring programs the whole family can watch together . . . [and for] adopting responsible TV advertising practices.” more 

Coca Cola’s Olympics advertising puts athletes to music-2/15/12                               Coca Cola has unveiled the first glimpses of its advertising campaign for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The campaign, titled “Move to the beat,” uses music to “reach a generation of teens and young adults.” more

Protesters picket against MBTA fare proposals in Copley Square-2/14/12                    The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s proposal to raise fares and cut service brought hundreds of protesting T riders to the MBTA’s general meeting on Monday, chanting, “Down with the cuts.” more

NRA’s “Kids LiveWell initiative triples” -2/13/12                                                    More than 20 restaurant brands recently joined “Kids LiveWell,” a voluntary program developed by the National Restaurant Association to “[provide] parents with a growing selection of healthful children’s menu choices when dining out.” Forty different restaurants now participate in the program, offering menu items that comply with recommendations based on the 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines. more

Restaurants Exploit Workers, Especially Women-2/13/12                                              We can’t believe it either. Since 1991, the federal tipped minimum cash wage has been frozen at just $2.13 an hour. In the restaurant industry – in which women make up two-thirds of tipped workers – this low subminimum wage is one of several policies and practices that make it especially difficult for women to support themselves. more 

Omaha senator brings back healthy food proposal-2/12/12
The proposal would create the Nebraska Healthy Food Financing Initiative Act and
would expand access to nutritious foods in areas considered to be food deserts.more

Junk food “super complaint” puts Krave, Nesquik, and Cadbury’s Buttons in firing line-2/11/12                                                                                                               As part of an effort to limit online marketing of junk food to children, the Children’s Food Campaign, a British health advocacy group, has filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority. The Kellogg head of external communications has responded by arguing that “the link between advertising and what children eat is modest.” more 

New ad campaign for baby carrots targets junk food market-2/9/12                     Former Coca Cola executive Jeff Dunn is the force behind a marketing campaign for baby carrots that urges children to “eat ‘em like junk food.” more  

Should the First Amendment protect the marketing of junk food to kids?-2/9/12 Marion Nestle counters the food industry’s argument that the First Amendment gives them the right to market junk food to children. She presents several articles written by scholars and public interest lawyers who are examining current food marketing practices through the lens of First Amendment rights. more

Anger bubbles up in Congress over anti-obesity ads targeting soda-2/7/12    Republican Representative Scott DesJarlais has introduced legislation that would restrict the use of federal money to fund campaigns against American-made, legal products, such as soda. The legislation has inspired debate between public health advocates and the American Beverage Association, among others. more

 Brand experience, values increasingly drive loyalty-2/6/12                                   The results of the 2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index show that brand loyalty hinges on emotional, rather than rational, factors. Writer Karlene Lukovitz presents ranking highlights for key beverage, food and restaurant categories. more

More schools likely to lose accreditation, experts say -1/17/12                                    As anxiety over the academic performance of public schools grows, experts say it's likely that more schools and school districts will lose public or private accreditation. more

Pepsi MAX Video Contest Seeks Passionate Fans- 1/14/12                                      The new “Pepsi MAX for Life” video contest will reward two winners with a lifetime supply of the beverage. more 

The End of the Twinkie? Hostess Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy-1/11/12          Hostess Brands Inc. is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as soon as this week, said people familiar with the matter, a move that would mark the second significant court restructuring for the Twinkies and Wonder Bread baker in the past several years. more

Study: Advergames increase junk food eating- 1/11/12                                              A study by Yale University researchers shows that advergames – branded online games – increase children’s consumption of junk foods. more

Neighbors Say ‘Stay Out!’ to Dollar Stores- 1/11/12                                             Communities fight the proliferation of Dollar Stores arguing that the cheap foods they offer negatively affect the health of residents. more

Beverage Associate Rejects Findings of SSB Tax Research-1/10/12                          In this press release, the ABA retaliates against the soda tax study in Health Affairs stating that “Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages will not reduce obesity….a wide range of factors contribute to these health conditions.” more

Super-size shock: Ad campaign links soda intake with amputations- 1/10/12         New York City’s health department releases an ad campaign that has spurred controversy over its visual shock element that links soda consumption with amputations. more

Study: 1 Cent Soda-Tax would save 26,000 Lives- 1/9/12                                            A new study published in the journal Health Affairs shows that a one-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages would prevent nearly 26,000 lives, generate $13 billion in tax revenues, and save $17 billion in healthcare-related expenses. more

Programmed to be Fat?-1/9/12                                                                                   In Programmed to be Fat?(airs 1/12), we explore controversial new science that suggests being overweight is not just the result of too much food, too little exercise, and genetics.  Exposure to environmental chemicals such as Bisphenol A, pesticides and herbicides during fetal development may be changing our physiology forever. more

Antibiotic Use In Farm Animals Still Broadly Unaddressed Despite 'Fanfare' For FDA Move-1/9/12                                                                                                             The Food and Drug Administration's latest move concerning the use of antibiotics in farm animals garnered a good deal of praise last week, but public health advocates say much more is needed. more

 The Very Real Danger of Genetically Modified Foods-1/9/12                              Chinese researchers have found small pieces of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the blood and organs of humans who eat rice. The Nanjing University-based team showed that this genetic material will bind to proteins in human liver cells and influence the uptake of cholesterol from the blood. The Chinese RNA study threatens to blast a major hole in Monsanto's claim. It means that DNA can code for microRNA, which can, in fact, be hazardous. more

Gov. Jerry Brown calls for historic shuttering of state's notorious youth prison system-1/7/12                                                                                                         Following years of failed attempts to rehabilitate juvenile offenders and improve public safety, California's once-sprawling youth prison system may soon shut its gates for good. If the Legislature approves the plan Gov. Jerry Brown released Thursday as part of his budget blueprint, California could become the first state to entirely eliminate its prisons for youthful offenders, juvenile crime experts say. The responsibility for jailing all youths would shift to local governments. more

Bringing school lunches online-1/6/12                                                                     Lunch lines are moving a lot faster at the Middle-High School cafeteria — thanks to a program called NutriKids. Last month, the school implemented a computerized checkout system in the cafeteria that allows students to punch in their I.D. numbers or swipe I.D. cards to purchase lunch. more

Bloomberg Doubles Down on Fingerprints for Food Stamps -1/6/12                        New York City is the only area in the state, and one of only two in the nation, that continues to require fingerprints for access to food stamps. Governor Cuomo this week announced plans to nix the rule, calling it an unnecessary "stigma," but the mayor isn't pleased. more

Supreme Court: State hasn't met its duty to pay for public education-1/6/12           The Washington Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state isn't meeting its constitutional obligation to amply pay for basic public education, but the justices gave an endorsement to the reform work the Legislature has already started.. more

Analysis: Minority Voters Overwhelmingly Rejected Mississippi Voter ID Law-1/6/12 An estimated 75 percent of the state’s minority population rejected “Initiative 27,” a constitutional amendment requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls, while only about 17 percent of white voters went against the proposal, according to a report by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. more

Gingrich singles out blacks in food stamp remark-1/5/12                                        Just days after Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum took heat for singling out blacks on entitlement reform, Newt Gingrich called out the African-American community for being dependent on food stamps -- despite the fact that blacks make up less than one third of recipients in the food stamp program. more

Pepsi Admits That Mountain Dew Is Capable of Dissolving Animals-1/4/12           Pepsi Co., facing a lawsuit from a man who claims to have found a mouse in his Mountain Dew can, has an especially creative, if disgusting, defense: their soda would have dissolved a dead mouse before the man could have found it. more

BP Ad Campaign Following Gulf Oil Spill Deemed 'Propaganda' By Some -1/3/12 Nearly 20 months after its massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill – and just as the nation focuses on New Orleans, host of the BCS title game – BP is pushing a slick nationwide public relations campaign to persuade Americans that the Gulf region has recovered. more

A nourishing environment; More and more, linking healthy food and a healthy region and planet-1/1/12                                                                                  Marketing expert Ann Mack says that 2012 will be the year the “food emerges as the prominent environmental issue of our time.” Department of public health director of policy and planning agrees, “Now, we see obesity prevention from a perspective and focus more on ways to encourage adults and children to make healthier food choices.” more 

Looking ahead: food politics in 2012-12/31/11                                                      Nutrition expert Marion Nestle predicts the food politics agenda for 2012. One of her predictions is that “political leaders will avoid or postpone taking action on food issues that threaten corporate interests.” more

Organic Agriculture May Be Outgrowing Its Ideals-12/30/11
Many growers and even environmental groups in Mexico defend the export-driven organic farming, even as they acknowledge that more than a third of the aquifers in southern Baja are categorized as overexploited by the Mexican water authority. more

Food Safety: Why the FDA Doesn't Have the Power to Protect Us-12/30/11
For more than 30 years the FDA has been asking for a ban on antibiotics used to make animals grow faster, but it can't follow through. more

Lobbying in Action: PepsiCo Fights Guidelines for Marketing to Kids-12/29/11
PepsiCo spent $750,000 to lobby government last quarter. This comes to roughly $3 million annually, a drop in PepsiCo's annual $30.6 billion sales in the U.S. -- $57.8 billion worldwide.What is Pepsi lobbying about? Open Secrets publishes the filing information on its website. more

Arizona Schools' Ethnic Studies Program Ruled Illegal-12/27/11
An administrative law judge ruled Tuesday that a Tucson school district's ethnic studies program violates state law, agreeing with the findings of Arizona's public schools chief. more

The New Blue Collar: Temporary Work, Lasting Poverty And The American Warehouse-12/22/11                                                                                                  With all the new distribution centers have come thousands of jobs at "logistics" companies -- firms that specialize in moving goods for retailers and manufacturers. Many workers don't work for the big corporations whose products are in the warehouses, or even the logistics companies that run them. They go to work for labor agencies that supply workers like Dickerson.more

Immigrants Occupy! Building A Movement Culture-12/19/11                                   The Occupy movements around the country have touched different communities in different ways, resonating with local issues as well as bringing local folks to the front lines of a national struggle for economic justice. For many immigrant communities, everyday struggles with the legal system and the economic crisis encapsulate some of the core issues driving the Occupy ethos. more

Seattle Officials Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags-12/17/11                                            The Seattle City Council voted Monday to ban single-use plastic bags from groceries and other retail stores, joining a growing trend among cities that embrace green values. The ordinance, which was approved unanimously following months of discussion and debate, takes effect in July 2012. more

A dollar badly spent: New facts on processed food in school lunches-12/16/11           I want to draw attention to an eye-opening investigative report on school lunch that has gotten a bit lost in the holiday shuffle. In a collaboration between The New York Times and the Investigative Fund, reporter Lucy Komisar delved into the billion-dollar business of the national school lunch program and found some unsettling news.more

Creating Healthy Neighborhoods 12/12/11                                                                                                         This is the second part of a series examining environmental injustice in South Los Angeles. The article discusses how a history of discrimination in housing, employment and the intentional placing of polluting factories in low-income neighborhoods have subjected residents to unhealthy environments that severely affect health. For instance, these inequitable environments offer little to no opportunities for physical activity because neighborhoods lack parks, bike lanes and safe sidewalks.more

California Bay Area’s Rich, Poor Live Side by Side-12/8/11                                   New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau exposes the geographic wealth inequities between Bay Area communities. Not only have we seen a rise in families living in poverty, but also, in many parts of the Bay Area, the wealthy and the poor live side by side. more

Coast to coast: Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins go national-12/7/11 Cuties California Clementines and Mandarins will now be available across the country. The company is promoting the national launch with an interactive website that targets children and parents. Parents are urged to upload images and videos of their children for a chance to receive a $150,000 scholarship.more

McDonald’s fined $1.8M in Brazil for free Happy Meal toy-12/7/11                           The Instituto Alana, a Brazilian consumer defense group, filed a complaint against McDonald’s, arguing that the inclusion of a free toy “distorts values” and “encourages unhealthy eating habits” among children. In response, the government of Sao Paulo has fined the company.more

Subway targets healthy initiatives at kids-12/6/11                                                         As part of “the Subway brand’s commitment to provid[ing] expert nutritional information and recommendations,” Subway has tapped corporate dietitian Lanette Kovachi to write an advice column for Subway.com titled “Help! My children won’t eat vegetables!”. The column includes suggestions that underline parental responsibility.more

San Francisco toy giveaway ban spotlights childhood obesity -12/6/11                 Foes of fast food are hailing San Francisco's new ban on free toy giveaways in kid's meals. The ban, which kicks off today, was health officials' attempt to buck burgeoning childhood obesity rates.more

Grass Roots: Madison recognizes housing as a human right -12/6/11                      The resolution reads a little like an almanac of the dispossessed: homeless families turned away from shelter, people of color disproportionately shut out, gays targeted, immigrants exploited and the elderly stripped of their savings.more

FARMER’S MARCH AT OCCUPY WALL ST. YESTERDAY-12/6/11                                   Occupy Wall Street was born out of a legitimate frustration with the collusion between Big Business and elected officials of the U.S. government. Nowhere is that collusion so great as in food and agricultural production.more

Occupy the Mainstream Media: Why the Movement's Next Target Should Be the Press-12/6/11
In October, when two public radio producers were sacked in separate incidents for participating in the Occupy Movement, I was dismayed, but not surprised. NPR is often accused of liberal bias.more

Anti-Wall Street camps lure U.S. homeless-12/5/11                                              Oscar Wesley McKinney doesn't carry a placard, and he doesn't chant slogans. He's not even sure he agrees with the message of the Occupy Wall Street movement.more

The Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign (VIDEO)-12/5/11                                             We are no longer willing to wait for any authority to institute our human right to housing. We the People are Enforcing Our Human Rights! more

Five-year-old's removal from family spotlights obesity intervention-12/5/11              As the childhood obesity epidemic continues to grow, health officials are turning to extreme measures. Now, a 5-year-old child from the U.K. has been taken from his parents due to obesity concerns, the Daily Mail reported. more

How Rural Can Reclaim Sustainable Ag-12/3/11                                                     The principles of sustainable agriculture were born in rural communities. How can those places now profit from the expanding interest in healthy locally-grown food?more

Analysis: Lawmakers needed for education policy-11/30/11                                      The fall election cycle was chock full of talk about education reform and change as millions of dollars were spent to elect candidates to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and to oust incumbents seen as too friendly with the teacher unions and traditional public education groups. more

No Child Left Behind, Or Else: Student Accountability Needed in Public Schools-11/30/11                                                                                                                   The rash of reforms over the past two decades, from initiatives during the Clinton administration to Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act to Obama’s Race to the Top program, have sought to improve test scores by focusing almost entirely on school accountability with little or no attempt to hold students to a higher standard. Demanding better performance from schools and teachers is a good start, but part of the answer to America’s mediocre educational performance lies in asking more of students. more

School Zero Tolerance Kills Dreams, Hurts the Economy-11/30/11                               At a time when competition for jobs is fierce and even entry-level positions require a high school or college degree, anyone without a high school diploma need not apply. Yet, each year, more than a million students in the United States leave high school without graduating.more

At a New Haven documentary studio, there's power in youth-11/30/11                    Several weeks ago, a dozen or so high school students gathered at the site in the East Rock neighborhood where a 23-year-old man had been shot to death the week before.The city’s 29^th homicide of the year had mobilized these young people. Armed with portable Flip video cameras, the students fanned out to interview residents. more  

Obese Child Taken Away from Mother, Placed in Foster Care-11/29/11                  The Department of Children and Family Services in Cleveland, citing medical neglect, took a third-grade obese child away from his mother and placed in foster care. The agency claimed that the mother did not do enough to help the child lose weight. more

How Far Are We Willing to Go to Fight Obesity?-11/29/11                                   Recently, an 8 year old boy was removed from his parents home and placed in foster care. The reason - he weighed over 200 pounds.With the focus on obesity in America, it's not surprising that this has occurred. And it's not the first time that a child was removed from the parents' home and placed in foster care because the parents' apparent inability to control their child's weight was determined to be neglect. more 

Study: Fewer Children In US Lack Health Insurance-11/28/11                               Even with more children living in poverty because of the rough economy, the number of children without health insurance in the U.S. has dropped by 1 million in the past three years, according to a report released Tuesday by Georgetown University. more

In the heartland, the occupation of the near poor-11/28/11                                    Under a photovoltaic glass trellis, on the terraced steps of Austin’s modernist City Hall, dozens of occupiers sprawl amid sleeping bags and sleeping dogs. A few people tap on computers while others nestled in bedding sit up, looking as if they are slowly sloughing off a hangover. It’s about 4 in the afternoon.more  

Food and Beverage Brands Pledge to Avoid Promoting Unhealthy Products to Kids Online-11/28/11                                                                                                         As part of the European pledge group, companies like McDonald’s, PepsiCo and Nestlé are promising to “restrict marketing to children (under 12) on their websites to ‘better for you’ products.” more

Report: Soda Companies Target Black and Latino Kids in High Numbers-11/28/11   Colorlines reports on the Rudd Center’s sugary facts report highlighting industry’s aggressive target marketing of Latino and African American youth. One of the most staggering findings was that African American children and teens saw 80 to 90 percent more ads than white youth.more 

African Americans Receive Their Own Food Pyramid-11/28/11                           Oldways, a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization, released the “African Heritage Diet Pyramid”  As described in its press release, the pyramid is supposed to “celebrate the individual foods and the traditional healthy eating patterns of African Heritage, with roots in America, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. more

Study recommends actions on 'food desserts' in New York-11/27/11                          A study by the American Cancer Society recommends policy actions to address childhood obesity and food deserts in New York, including taxes on sugary drinks. It finds that food deserts are in 32 of New York’s 62 counties. more

No Slow Down to Class Action Lawsuits in California over Food Labeling and Marketing-11/25/11                                                                                              California litigators Tom Woods and Melissa Jones advise companies to “examine their labels to minimize risk of litigation.” Consumers continue to file lawsuits over misleading labeling and marketing claims, like claims that products are “all natural” when in fact they have synthetic ingredients. more

Fighting to Sell Junk Food to Kids: Really, Grocery Manufacturers? That's Your Highest Priority? -11/18/11                                                                                Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Michael F. Jacobsen, outlines a couple of reasons that the food industry is aggressively lobbying against voluntary marketing guidelines. These include that the “industry is desperate to avoid any government scrutiny” and the guidelines would serve as a benchmark to help evaluate industry progress. The food industry’s “single biggest priority is preserving its ability to market junk food to young kids.” more

Selling Candy to Kids-11/18/11                                                                                This editorial critiques the Obama administration for giving in to industry lobbying with regards to the voluntary marketing and nutrition guidelines.more 

 It's official: Pizza is a vegetable!-11/16/11                                                              Congress caves in to industry pressure and declares that the tomato paste in pizza qualifies it as a vegetable. In her blog post, Nestle includes some of the national coverage on this topic. more

For cereal, natural may not be as natural as you think-11/16/11                        Non-profit research organization, the Cornucopia Institute, released a report titled “Cereal Crimes: How ‘Natural’ Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label.” The report finds that cereals claiming to be “natural” often use “dangerous pesticides, genetically engineered crops, fumigants” and other toxic chemicals. more

Sugary-drink industry sweetens pot for Philadelphia City Council candidates-11/13/11

Since May, beverage industry leaders have contributed at least $49,000 to Philadelphia City Council candidates. Critics argue that this gives the industry political influence over soda tax bills.more 

City Rules Could Transplant Gardens-11/1/11                                                           While New York City adopts increasingly progressive measures to promote sustainability, at least one "green" group remains unsatisfied. Some community gardeners, charging that the most recent city regulations leave them largely unprotected, fear their plots of land could be snatched away at any time.more

Trick or Treat! Scary Things Beverage Companies Do to Trick You and Your Kids-10/31/11                                                                                                  Researchers analyzed the nutrition and marketing strategies of nearly 600 beverages from 14 companies. You can read the full report here, but to give you a taste of what we found, here are some sneaky tricks that the beverage industry is playing on us. more

Coca-Cola Targets African-America youth via Sprite Step Off-10/31/11                  Sprite takes advantage of the popularity of “stepping” among black youth to increase its sales. The brand created a nationwide “Sprite Stepping” competition, which culminated in six nationally televised competitions on MTV and were hosted by rapper Ludacris. As a result, Sprite volume sales increased 6.7 percent over the year. more

Yale study finds unprecedented marketing of sugary drinks to youth; aggressive targeting of black and Latino youth-10/31/11                                                           The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity releases a comprehensive study on sugary beverage marketing (surgarydrinkfacts.org). One of the key findings is that companies aggressively target black and Latino youth: Black children and teens saw 80 to 90 % more ads compared to white youth; Latino children saw 49% more ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks on Spanish language TV and Latino teens saw 99% more ads. more

We Look At Nutrition Labels Less Than We Think We Do, Study Says-10/25/11         A new study suggests you may think you're good about checking, but you really don't pay as much attention as you think you do. The results of this study suggest that consumers have a finite attention span for Nutrition Facts labels: although most consumers did view labels, very few consumers viewed every component on any label," the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities researchers said in a statement. "These results differed from the self-reported survey responses describing typical grocery shopping and health behaviors submitted by the participants. more

Chocolate Milk as the “favorite sweet” for this Halloween-10/17/11                           The California Milk Processor Board is promoting chocolate milk as “providing the same nine essential nutrients as regular milk but with the special flavor that kids love.” The Board is inviting parents to provide chocolate milk to kids for Halloween instead of the traditional candies that are full of sugar and fat. more

With an Ever-Growing Population of ‘Fusionistas,” Consistency is Key-10/17/11  Written from the marketing perspective, the article discusses marketing to bilingual and bicultural Latinos.  McDonald’s U.S. Hispanic agency is also using the term ‘fusionistas’ to refer to bilingual and bicultural Latinos in the United States. more

McDonald’s and General Mills see greater revenue as a result of targeting to Latinos-10/14/11                                                                                                          A report by the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies states that those corporations who target their marketing to Latinos are seeing greater revenues. General Mills and McDonald’s were marked as one of the “leaders” because they are spending more money to target Latinos, often through ads on TV or other videos. more

Reinventing the Corner Store through Muslim Run-9/30/11                                     When IMAN introduced the Muslim Run campaign almost three years ago, it was a visionary call for a different way of doing business. As such, it was fortunate to attract the interest of everyone ranging from storeowners looking to transform their own businesses, to individuals who fervently believed in Islam’s mandate for good and fair business to foundations committed to food justice and healthy places.more

A tax on soda(Blog)-9/23/11                                                                                      What should the UN do to address obesity? Commentator and author Raj Patel says a soda tax can be part of the solution. more

Food Industry Redubs FOP Labeling System-9/23/11                                              Instead of "Nutrition Keys," the food and beverage industry has renamed the labeling system "Facts up Front” and has launched a Web site, FactsUpFront.org.  more

Studies put soda in the crosshairs -- even more-9/22/11                                           Two studies suggest that obesity rates might be leveling off and that consumption of sugars has also dropped. The discussion centers on consumption of sugary beverages. more

Corn Refiners Association to the FDA: we will call HFCS "corn sugar" whether you like it or not-9/22/11                                                                                             Marion Nestle points out that "Changing the name of HFCS to corn sugar is about marketing, not public health.” more

Killing the 'King' Looks Positive for Burger King- 9/20/11                                     Consumer perceptions of Burger King improved following the withdrawal of company spokescharacter “the King.”more 

United Nations to Consider the Effects of Food Marketing on Chronic Disease-9/19/11 The UN General Assembly will meet in New York on September 19 and 20 to generate a global response to the rise in obesity. Discussions will include food marketing regulations. Nestle remarks, “Let’s hope the General Assembly puts health above politics this time.” more

Killing the 'King' Looks Positive for Burger King- 9/20/11                                      Consumer perceptions of Burger King improved following the withdrawal of company spokescharacter “the King.”more

Public Schools Face the Rising Cost of Serving Lunch-9/19/11                                    In the midst of budget cuts, the more nutritious school lunches are also more expensive. more

World leaders must take binding steps to curb unhealthy food industry-9/19/11 During the opening of the UN General Assembly summit on Non-Communicable Diseases, UN Secretary General Ban urged food and beverage companies, the media, marketing and advertising companies to promote healthy living instead of promoting processed foods to children. more

Nickelodeon’s Capital Play Day-9/18/11                                                             Nickelodeon’s annual event, Worldwide Day of Play, will be in Washington, DC. On the day of the event, Nickelodeon and its website will be turned off for 3 hours to encourage children to do physical activities. more

Coke Tailors its soda sizes-9/18/11                                                                           Coca-Cola Co. has created more package sizes that are smaller and cheaper. This week, it will launch the 12.5oz at 89 cents and reduce the price of its 8-pack of 7.5 oz Coke “mini” cans by 20%. more

Burger King sidelines creepy king, readies ‘sensational’ menu-9/17/11              Burger King retires the company’s spokescharacter, the King, claiming that the departure is due to the company’s broadening consumer base. The company also says that it will develop “a new children’s program.” more 

Proponents of new food marketing guidelines win Senate Victory-9/16/11             The Senate Appropriations Committee voted on Thursday night to support the guidelines, as part of the Financial Services and General Government appropriations Act of 2012.more 

World leaders must take binding steps to curb unhealthy food industry-9/16/11 United Nations human rights expert urges world leaders to resist industry pressure and recommends taxing unhealthy food as a way to regulate harmful marketing practices. more

Birds Eye Aims to Shake Up Frozen Veggie Status Quo-9/16/11                             Pinnacle Foods Group brand and maker of frozen vegetables, Birds Eye, takes advantage of the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” initiative and the USDA’s new MyPlate, which encourage more vegetable consumption. Birds Eye launches the marketing initiative “Discover the Wonder of Vegetables” that includes a new campaign called “At Birds Eye, It’s Always Vegetable Season.”more

Teens in the crosshairs: Is targeted marketing ethical? -9/14/11                            American University Kogud Now’s event featured experts who debated the ethics of target marketing to teens in the digital age and whether teens have “cognitive maturity to decipher marketing messages aimed at them.” more

Ads pushing unhealthy food should not be targeting kids-9/14/11                            American Heart Association volunteer, Dr. Kenneth Maynard, urges food companies to adopt the government’s food marketing guidelines to “help families make healthier food choice and reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke.” more

Gatorade, NBA Take Athlete Pitch on the Road- 9/12/11                                           Gatorade and the National Basketball Association (NBA) launch a road show called the “Gatorade NBA Training Center” that features former NBA players in a series of events to attract athletic consumers. more

The food industry vs. nutrition standards: A First Amendment issue?-9/6/11          Nestle makes the case for why the government’s proposed nutrition standards need to be mandatory. Legal scholars point out that because the standards are voluntary, companies are free to ignore them. Meanwhile, the industry charges that the nutrition standards violate First Amendment rights to free speech. more

Addressing childhood obesity across the U.S.-9/6/11                                       Childhood obesity has doubled in the past two decades and tripled in adolescents. It's a growing problem that's leading many to take a stand and address this issue. One author's approach is sparking conversation among the masses. Paul Kramer, an ex-New Yorker and current Hawaiian resident, is fighting childhood obesity with a new book. more

Maywood Market exemplifies grocery stores' struggles in 'food deserts'-9/5/11 Maywood Market opened with great fanfare, billed as an oasis amid a "food desert" in this west suburb, where fresh fruits and vegetables were hard to find.Despite the hopes of community leaders and health advocates, one item remains in short supply more than a year later — shoppers pushing carts brimming with food. more

 New school nutrition law takes youths’ health to heart-9/4/11                           Nutrition expert Marion Nestle discusses the school meal law, Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. She notes that the law needs to be turned into regulations so that it can be implemented across all schools. more

Local Grocery Stores Try to Find Traction in Tough Times-9/3/11                        Bessie Morris went into Bayview’s new Fresh & Easy supermarket for the first time last Sunday. She needed to pick up just some ground turkey and sandwich cheese, but one thing led to another. The company is trying to capitalize on the cultural and economic trends that have brought huge changes to the local grocery store business over the past five years. Squeezed by expensive purveyors of organic, local and artisanal products on the high end and discounters like Costco and Wal-Mart on the low end, as well as a slow economy, traditional supermarket chains are reeling, with store closings and bankruptcies sweeping the sector. more

Children's Healthcare childhood obesity ad campaign raises awareness-9/2/11  Since its launch six months ago, officials say Strong4Life, the provocative ad campaign designed to raise awareness about childhood obesity, is reaping the results they’d hoped. more

Could Walmart Revive the Downtowns They Helped Kill Long Ago? 9/1/11          You’ve heard the story before Walmart opens a store near a small town.  The store is often on the edge of that community on greenfield land.  Folks realize that everything from apples to Zenith stereos are cheaper.  Locals no longer shop at the downtown hardware store, local supermarket, toy store, or pharmacy.  more

President Obama launches anti-obesity month-9/1/11                                    President Obama marked the start of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month with a proclamation calling on all Americans to "take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our Nation's children." more

Detroit garden blossoms-9/1/11                                                                                   The dedication of the Lafayette Greens community garden Wednesday was more than an opportunity to celebrate downtown Detroit's newest attraction. It also gave Mayor Dave Bing an occasion to endorse the controversial notion of larger commercial farming on the city's vast tracts of vacant land. more

Lacey Food Bank reaps rewards of community garden-8/31/11                             ‘Growing Green Within the Pond,’ was funded by a $2,500 grant from Ocean First Bank,’’. The grant application was written by sixth-grade teacher Sarah Gugliocciello and fifth-grade teacher Lori Rutigliano. The project also benefited from $3,000 donated by the Forked River Rotary Club. more

Churches, non-profit partner to bring fresh produce to "food deserts"-8/30/11  Neighbors in the McCrorey Heights neighborhood are excited about a new produce stand which opened up at a local church. It's a trend happening across the northern part of Mecklenburg County. more

Healthy Snacks Coming to Chicago Park District-8/30/11                                  Approximately 20 vending machines have been installed, which offer healthier snacks that limit calories, sodium, fat and sugar. more

Do school soda bans curb obesity in kids?  What Boston study shows-8/30/11           A new study suggests that Boston’s ban on sugar-sweetened beverages worked to decrease kids’ consumption of soft drinks: from 1.71 servings in 2004 to 1.38 servings in 2006. The decrease translates to about 45 fewer calories per day. more

Hunger at Home: Since Recession 20 Million More Americans on Food Stamps-8/24/11                                                                                                                        In every corner of the country, a portrait of hidden hunger has now emerged. The recession has pushed 2.4 million more children into poverty. Seventeen million children are "food insecure," meaning their parents often don't know where the next meal will come from. more

Country wrestles with spike in food stamp use -8/22/11                                         Altogether, there are now almost 46 million people in the United States on food stamps, roughly 15 percent of the population. That's an increase of 74 percent since 2007, just before the financial crisis and a deep recession led to mass job losses. more

Big chains and government target "food deserts"-8/19/11                                   Independent Philadelphia grocer Jeff Brown says he has cracked the code for making money in some urban communities that in the past have been shunned by big chains as being too risky to invest in. more

U.S. Rejects Mayor’s Plan to Ban Use of Food Stamps to Buy Soda-8/19/11         Federal officials on Friday rejected Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to bar New York City’s food stamp users from buying soda and other sugary drinks with them. The decision derailed one of the mayor’s big ideas to fight obesity and poor nutrition in the city. Mr. Bloomberg and the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, were quick to criticize the ruling by the United States Department of Agriculture as a disservice to low-income residents. more

Oasis in a Food Desert (Bringing a Farmers Market to WIC Clients)-8/18/11               A new farmers’ market on Madison’s east side is making fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables more accessible to area residents including participants in Public Health Madison and Dane County’s (PHMDC) Women Infant and Nutrition (WIC) program. This program, serving 7000 pregnant women, new moms and children in Dane County provides nutrition education and monthly checks to purchase nutritious foods at local grocery stores.more

Movement to Ban Alcohol Ads From All City-Owned Property Gains Ground in Los Angeles-8/18/11                                                                                                   Councilman Richard Alarcon’s draws community support for introducing an ordinance to ban alcohol ads on city-owned property in Los Angeles. The policy resembles ordinances in San Francisco and Philadelphia. more

UM Study: Drug Abuse, Obesity Top Childhood Issues-8/15/11                               Adults rate drug abuse and childhood obesity as the top health concerns for kids in their communities, according to the fifth annual survey of the top 10 health concerns for kids conducted by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. more

New Yorkers question federal food desert maps-8/14/11                                        New Yorkers are questioning the Department of Agriculture's definition of a food desert - a neighborhood lacking in grocery stores or fresh foods - saying it shortchanges some of the city's residents, the New York Daily News is reporting. more

'Food desert' status denied to 3 million New Yorkers without grocery stores-8/14/11 Lynne Harris inches her cane forward, wincing in pain as her arthritic knees struggle to make each step along six long Brooklyn blocks leading to her grocery store. The painful trial brings Harris, 53, to one of East New York's largest grocery stores where the selection doesn't thrill, but surely beats the unhealthy options on the shelves of her corner bodega. more

Food deserts strike a blow to a healthy Jersey-8/14/11                                        Here’s a disturbing fact: 340,000 New Jerseyans live in a food desert. One of those deserts lies right at the border of Hamilton, where fresh food is out of reach for residents without a car or hours to invest in public transportation. more

 YPT receives $19,000 grant to help fight childhood obesity-8/12/11                        The Yerington Paiute Tribe was among 10 Native American tribes to receive grant funding to fight childhood obesity as part of First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative, "Let's Move! In Indian Country." more

Who's really to blame for child obesity?-8/10/11                                                     Should morbidly obese children be taken from their parents and put into foster care? That was the central question in a commentary piece last month by obesity expert David S. Ludwig of Children's Hospital Boston and lawyer Lindsey Murtagh of the Harvard School of Public Health, who explored this drastic solution at a time when the rates of obesity in U.S. children over the last 30 years have tripled. more

US Toddlers Get Jumpstart on Fitness-8/9/11                                                        Childhood obesity in America has more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to government statistics, and today nearly one in three youngsters are overweight or obese. As parents grow concerned, fitness programs for babies and toddlers are on the rise. These programs try to foster a lifetime love of fitness by making exercise fun. more

There’s growing interest in community gardens-8/9/11                                       Overland Park is the most recent Johnson County city to offer a community garden. A collaboration among its parks and recreation department, the Johnson County Library and a volunteer, nonprofit Kansas corporation, the Overland Park Community Garden opened May 28 on the grounds of the Oak Park branch of the Johnson County Library.more

Junk food still stars in TV ads seen by kids-8/9/11                                                Children are seeing fewer sugary, fatty foods advertised on TV, but unhealthy fare still makes up the bulk of food commercials they see, a new study suggests. more

Community grows at Nightingale garden-8/6/11                                                   That’s the type of cross-cultural learning that is commonplace at the Nightingale Community Garden, located on the site of the former Florence Nightingale School, said Valerie J. Burns, president of Boston Natural Areas Network, which owns the garden. more

IN MUEVETE USA, STUDENT NURSES COMBAT CHILDHOOD OBESITY-8/5/11          These soon-to-be nurses, all members of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), served as trainer-influencers in low-income Hispanic neighborhoods this spring. The goal: to teach healthy attitudes and behaviors to children in Hispanic families. Registered nurses, also members of NAHN, provided guidance.more

Bloomberg to use own funds in plan to aid minority youth-8/3/11                            As part of three-year program, the funds will help create job-recruitment centers, fatherhood classes, and other educational classes. The goal is to prevent young men of color from “entering or returning to the criminal justice system.” more

Study: Industry's Found Sneaky Way to Keep Advertising Junk Food to Kids-8/3/11 Food and beverage advertisers may have found a handy way to dodge their own guidelines restricting the marketing of junk food to children, according to a new study from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. While companies have cut back on TV ads aimed at children, and in some cases cut out TV ads for candy altogether, they've also upped the use of product placement, the study found. more

Americans cut back on sugar-sweetened soda: survey-8/2/11                              Americans downed nearly a quarter less added sugar in 2008 than they did nine years earlier, a new report concludes.The drop is largely due to a decrease in the amount of sugar-sweetened soda that people drank. more

HIDING VEGETABLES IN FOOD SHOWN EFFECTIVE AGAINST CHILDHOOD OBESITY-8/1/11                                                                                                                            In a feat of well-intentioned but crafty culinary deception, researchers at Pennsylvania State University managed to get preschool children to consume nearly twice as many vegetables and 11 percent fewer calories over the course of a day after stealthily sneaking pureed vegetables into their favorite foods. more
BEVERAGE INDUSTRY CALL ANTI-SODA CAMPAIGN 'MISLEADING'-8/1/11                 A group representing US soda makers claims the Santa Clara County Public Health Department is using federal funds to promote a "misleading" educational campaign that "may not be based in science." Butt he health department defends the research behind its anti-obesity initiative that encourages people to drink water instead of soda. more 

Food Insecurity Caused by Climate Change Affects Family Planning in Kenya-7/29/11                                                                                                                  Experts and mothers say climate change is directly and indirectly affecting childbearing in Kenya. They say food insecurity caused by climate change hurts pregnant mothers’ and children’s health and is leading Kenyans to opt for smaller families. more

Too Many Fast-Food Restaurants Near Schools, Study Says-7/29/11                         The study, done by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, recommended incentives to create healthy food outlets, such as farmers markets and grocery stores, in under served neighborhoods and implement farm-to-school programs that bring fresh produce to school cafeterias. more

NUTRITION LABELS HELP FAST-FOOD EATERS CUT CALORIES-7/28/11                 The city that never sleeps apparently doesn't read calorie counts either. A new study looking at New York City's fast-food restaurants found only one in six customers actually read them. more

CMU SCHOOL OF DESIGN, EAT'N PARK RESTAURANTS LAUNCH INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY-7/27/11                                        With obesity rates on the rise, the Carnegie Mellon University School of Design's Fitwits™ project and Pittsburgh-based Eat'n Park Restaurants are joining forces to help fight the epidemic. more

CHILDHOOD STRESS-INDUCED OBESITY REDUCED BY STRONGER SOCIAL SAFETY NET PROGRAMS-7/27/11                                                                                      Social safety net programs that reduce psychosocial stressors for low-income families ultimately lead to a reduction in childhood obesity, a research by a University of Illinois economist has indicated. more

WHOLE FOODS LAUNCHES CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION-7/26/11                          The foundation's first initiative is a program to help put in place or expand teaching gardens to help build children's relationships with food through the power of gardening. more

SCHOOL SODA BAN HAS GREATEST EFFECT ON BLACK STUDENTS-7/25/11        State policies designed to eliminate junk food from school concession stands may be reducing disparities in soda consumption among teens of different racial and ethnic groups, a new study suggests. The study finds that in states banning or discouraging the sale of junk food at schools' concession stands, daily soda consumption has dropped by twice as much among black students as among all students. more

'GO HEALTHY CHALLENGE' TO EDUCATE YOUTH ON NUTRITION-7/25/11                     The challenge taught about 500 kids about portion control and how to read nutrition labels. Some LSU athletes stopped by to teach the children great ways to stay fit. more

FIRST 5 LA LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO HELP CHILDREN KICK THE SODA AND SUGARY DRINK HABIT THIS SUMMER-7/22/11                                                         Each day in the San Fernando Valley and L.A. County, nearly 30 percent of children ages 0-5 are drinking at least one soda or other sweetened beverage and increasingly, the obesity epidemic is pointing to sugary drinks as a prime source of added calories. To encourage drinking water rather than sugary drinks, First 5 LA is launching a Rethink Your Drink campaign, targeting families with young children 5 years and under. more

DOC BLASTED FOR SAYING OBESE CHILDREN MAY BELONG IN FOSTER CARE-7/19/11                                                                                                              A media firestorm erupted last week when a Harvard Prof. and his co-author suggested in a widely read article that obese children should be in foster care. But now the man at the center of the controversy, Dr. David S. Ludwig, is responding to angry, frightened parents who read about his views. more

CHOCOLATE MILK'S LOSS HARD ON SOME SCHOOLS-7/19/11                                  In an effort to fight rising childhood obesity, new school nutrition standards passed Wednesday by the state Public Health Council call for rigorous limitations on fried foods, white bread and sweetened milk. When the Abbott Memorial School in Florida stopped serving chocolate milk this year, some parents were upset. At least one pair said that their son would only drink milk if it was flavored. more

USDA SEEKS WAYS TO BOOST FARM-TO-SCHOOL PROGRAMS-7/14/11                     The popularity of farm-to-school programs that put locally grown food on cafeteria trays has exploded in recent years, So much so that the federal agency in charge of school lunches is giving them a new stamp of approval. more

NEW MASS. SCHOOL FOOD RULES BAN SWEET SNACKS-7/14/11                          The rules, approved unanimously by the state Public Health Council, ban foods with artificial sweeteners, trans fats, and caffeine from schools' a la carte lines, vending machines, stores, events and fundraisers. They also ban fried foods and limit the amount of fat, sodium, and sugar that can be in school foods. more

THE CHALLENGE OF MARKETING NUTRITION-7/14/11                                                With such a large, national health issue, the public seeks someone or something on which to place the blame, and more often than not, they can find a culprit in the companies responsible for feeding the country. Food manufacturers are often cast as the demons of the obesity crisis, fueled by the popular stereotype that the companies care more about being profitable than the consumers who buy their products. more

SHOULD PARENTS LOSE CUSTODY OF THEIR EXTREMELY OBESE KIDS?-7/13/11 One way to manage the nation's childhood obesity crisis might be to take the most severely overweight kids away from their parents, argues Harvard pediatrics professor and obesity expert David Ludwig in a controversial commentary published Tuesday in one of the country's most well-regarded medical journals. more

RESTAURANTS TO OFFER MORE-HEALTHFUL OPTIONS FOR KIDS-7/13/11             As part of the Kids Live Well campaign expected to be announced nationwide Wednesday participating restaurants must promise to offer at least one children's meal that has fewer than 600 calories, no soft drinks and at least two items from the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins or low-fat dairy. more

PROS, CONS OF NEW NUTRITION LABELS ON FRONT OF FOOD PACKAGES-7/12/11 Various groups and companies tried to help by offering their own stamp, symbol or checkmark to help us shop smart, but often leave us more confused than ever on the health of a product. more

WINDSOR FOODS LAUNCHES "FIT KIDS" PROGRAM-7/12/11                                   The program offers free sports balls (basketball and dodge balls) with the purchase of cases of selected Child Nutrition products. The program offers 10 free sports balls with the purchase of 20 cases, 15 sports balls with the purchase of 30 cases and 25 sports balls with the purchase of 50 cases on the same distributor invoice. more

GROUPS TAKE OBESITY RATE SERIOUSLY-7/11/11                                             Sunday church dinners haven't been the same at Oak Hill Baptist Church in northwest Mississippi. Fried chicken and soda are banned. Collard and mustard greens are seasoned with smoked turkey necks instead of pork. And on other days, the parking lot doubles as a walking track. more

VENDING MACHINES SELLING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES TAKE OFF IN US-7/11/11 Vend Natural, the fastest growing healthy vending snack company in the US with 420 machines in 22 states and the District of Columbia, last week entered the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The company also has aggressive plans to expand throughout the country with a special focus on hospitals, office buildings and schools. more

FILIPINOS AMONG THE WORLD'S MOST HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND DIET CONSCIOUS-7/11/11                                                                                                      In a 17-country research done by a British organization, Oxfam International, the Philippines was found to be one of two countries, the other being India, which were most concerned about nutrition. The survey said nutrition was among the top consideration of 63 percent of Filipino respondents in choosing the food they eat. more

Value-Meal Index, or Why $1 hamburgers are still hot-6/27/11                             Value meals are more popular during times of economic hardship, but because they don’t generate significant profit, fast feeders are promoting them less and less. more

Targeting Latinos: Marketers say it's not just about language, it's about understanding-6/23/11                                                                                                Given the tremendous diversity in our population and especially among Latinos, Media Post’s Juan Aceves argues that the entire advertising industry needs to revamp its strategies to “adapt to a new reality” and that the “White majority is not the standard anymore.” more

 IOM advice for preventing childhood obesity focuses on personal responsibility-6/23/11                                                                                                                     Marion Nestle is dismayed that the newest IOM guidelines on preventing childhood obesity ignore the food environment, and specifically food marketing. Instead, the recommendations focus on personal responsibility. more

Food industry and health experts face off over package labeling-6/22/11                   NPR summarizes the controversy surrounding Nutrition Keys labeling, and the opposing viewpoints of public health advocates and The Grocery Manufacturers Association. more 

Jack in the Box eliminates toys from kids’ meals-6/21/11                                      Jack in the Box has announced that it will no longer use toys to market its food to children. Some marketers believe the change will not have a significant impact, because kids’ meals make up only a small portion of Jack in the Box’s sales. more

WASHINGTON WOMEN'S FOUNDATION AWARDS $450,000 IN POOLED GRANTS TO NONPROFITS-6/16/2011                                                                                              A $90,000 grant was Washington Sustainable Food & Farming Network who engages with partners to promote farming and food through economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially equitable means. The grant will help fun its Fresh Food in Schools program, which seeks to reverse farmland loss and epidemic childhood obesity by purchasing and serving more Washington-grown fruits and vegetables in school cafeterias across the state. more

TEXAS NUTRITION PROGRAM-6/16/2011                                                                       In a coordinated effort, the two school districts, LISD and UISD, and the municipal government also opened more than 10 sites that offer free breakfast and lunch to children under the age of 18 during the summer. more

GARDENS PROGRAM IMPROVES KIDS' DIET-6/15/2011                                             The program allows young people to develop fitness, positive use of leisure time, skills for stress management, and appreciation for the environment and social skills. Through this program, local kids participate in activities such as sport leagues, judo, track, swimming programs and much more. more

BLOOMBERG'S PLANS TO LIMIIT HIGH-CAL DRINKS UPSET VENDORS-6/14/2011     In the new regulation, regular soda and juice can only be 12 ounces or less, while water and other "healthy" drinks must be 12 ounces or more. more

Is Ronald McDonald responsible for childhood obesity?-6/14/2011                        Writer Elaine Fogel argues that McDonald’s alone should not be “penalized” with a food-marketing ban. She believes that schools should implement nutrition and health education programs to address concerns about childhood obesity. more

School buses no place for junk food ads-6/10/2011                                                  The director of the NY State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance takes on a proposal that would allow New York school buses to carry advertising. She urges legislators to take a stand against these “predatory” marketing practices. more

Sneaky snacks aimed at youth glamorize a vicious drug culture-6/8/2011                 Angelina Osornio warns parents about snack foods that explicitly or implicitly promote drug use, such as Purple Stuff (a soft drink whose name and logo are associated with recreational cough syrup use), and Lazy Cakes (a snack cake that is marketed as a “relaxation brownie” and contains melatonin). more

Energy drinks are not for kids-6/6/2011                                                                     The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children avoid energy and sports drinks, which are heavily marketed to this age group. These drinks may add significant calories to their diets and cause problems related to caffeine consumption. more

Lack of sleep may lead to gaining weight - study- 5/18/2011                                Sleep deprivation makes the day drag and appears to put a drag on metabolism too, causing the body to use less energy, according to a European study. more

San Francisco Chronicle: Food Stamps and Soda(BLOG)-5/1/2011                           why our government allows the use of food stamps to buy sodas,and says it primarily comes down to lobbying and expresses her support for New York’s proposed ban. more

U.S. Seeks New Limits on Food Ads for Children-4/29/2011                                          The Interagency Working Group, comprised by the CDC, FTC, FDA and USDA, released for public comment the voluntary nutrition and marketing standards for the food and beverage industry. The guidelines are stricter than those proposed by the industry and they urge companies to only market foods to children 2 to 17 that contain specified healthy ingredients and are low in fats, sugars and sodium. more

Proposed Federal Standards for Foods Marketed to Children Praised-4/28/2011  CSPI praises the federal government for the “strong and sensible” nutrition and marketing guidelines released by the IWG. CSPI nutrition policy director Margaret Wootan says, "Companies' policies aren't making enough of a difference…If companies are serious about addressing marketing to children, they'll agree to follow the proposed national marketing standards."more

 American Heart Association (AHA) CEO says CDC report on Children’s Food Environment Underscores Need for Strong Public Policies-4/27/2011                  Responding to the findings in the CDC Report, AHA CEO Nancy Brown says that “We must place a greater emphasis on making healthier food choices more accessible and affordable, particularly for families living in food deserts where the nearest supermarket could be miles away and for those surrounded by fast food restaurants or corner stores with less healthy offerings.” more

 In-Store Sales Begin at Home-4/25/2011                                                               More than ever, companies are adapting their marketing strategies to target customers at home via blogs, social media sites, emails and online campaigns.more

 Food marketing to kids goes viral-4/22/2011                                                            Marion Nestle comments on the coverage discussing online food marketing to children and suggests restricting what “food companies can do in order to make it easier for parents to manage what their kids eat.”more

 Dieters find ‘healthy’ food labels can be tricky-4/21/2011                                          A study released by the University of South Carolina finds that “dieters were more likely to rate a pasta dish as healthful if it was labeled as a salad.”more

Soda tax would raise $1.7 billion, buoying school districts, study says-4/20/2011 Several newspapers report on the California Center for Public Health Advocacy’s recent study on the economic benefits of a soda tax, based on AB 669. Passing the bill would raise $1.7 billion statewide per year. Eighty-five percent of the revenue would go to schools and local agencies, and the remaining 15% would go to state-run anti obesity programs.more 

McDonald’s Makes Subtle Play for Children Online-4/20/2011                               Brustein uses McDonald’s Web site for children, McWorld.com, as an example of the subtle online marketing to children and makes the point that few kid-targeted sites actually display food products. Mark Smale, senior vice president of the company that created McWorld.com, says that companies realize that “the best strategy is to forgo immediate sales in order to build lasting emotional relationships with children.”more

McDonald's grimaces at Happy Meal lawsuit-4/19/2011                                       Responding to the lawsuit filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest on behalf of a mother of two in Sacramento, McDonald’s defends itself saying that "parents can always choose not to buy the meals for their children."more

How Kraft's Lunchables is Evolving in the Anti-Obesity Era-4/19/2011                    Kraft Foods is launching its largest ad campaign, spending more than $20 million, to promote a new Lunchables line that has Dole fruit.more

Chicago school bans packed lunches- 4/18/2011                                                   Little Village Academy, a small school in Chicago, is not allowing students to bring lunches in an effort to get kids to eat healthier lunches made at school. Reporter Jenn Savedge supports the intention but disagrees on the way this is being done. Instead, she suggests banning only certain types of foods, like fast foods.more

Hispanic Beverages Brand Jarritos Turn Focus to U.S. General Market-4/18/211    Novamex, maker of Jarritos beverages that are popular among Latinos, wants to make the soft drinks more of a "mainstream beverage that appeals to a diverse consumer base." The company has chosen Omnicom Group’s GSD&M to lead its marketing and advertising.more

Chicago school bans packed lunches- 4/18/2011                                                   Little Village Academy, a small school in Chicago, is not allowing students to bring lunches in an effort to get kids to eat healthier lunches made at school. Reporter Jenn Savedge supports the intention but disagrees on the way this is being done. Instead, she suggests banning only certain types of foods, like fast foods.more

Hispanic Beverages Brand Jarritos Turn Focus to U.S. General Market-4/18/211 Novamex, maker of Jarritos beverages that are popular among Latinos, wants to make the soft drinks more of a "mainstream beverage that appeals to a diverse consumer base." The company has chosen Omnicom Group’s GSD&M to lead its marketing and advertising.more

On School Buses, Ad Space for Rent- 4/15/2011                                                    Tight budgets are making state and local governments consider selling space to advertisers, such as pizza marketing ads on the sides of school buses as has happened in Utah.more

Study: Diet soda doesn't raise diabetes risk- 4/15/2011                                       Harvard University has published a study that suggests that diet sodas and other artificially-sweetened beverages do not raise the risk of diabetes.more

FMI and GMA select agencies to support $50 million nutrition keys
consumer education campaign- 4/12/2011                                                               The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have selected three agencies to help build consumer education campaigns “that will build awareness, understanding and use of the Nutrition Keys icon” and which will use point-of-purchase strategies, advertising, and digital/social media to implement the campaign.more

Campaign in Hawaii tackles childhood obesity- 4/12/2011                                       The University of Hawaii-Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine, Hawaii Initiative for Childhood Obesity Research and Education, and local health care organizations have partnered to create the "Hawaii 5-2-1-0 Let's Go Initiative," an education campaign to address childhood obesity. Recommendations in the campaign include that “kids get two hours or less of ‘screen time’ at the TV, computer and other devices” and “zero or almost no sugary drinks.” more

Officials Say New ‘Alcoholic Soda’ Targets Teens-4/7/2011                                    The controversy continues over Colt 45’s new fruity alcoholic beverage, Blast, that targets teens, especially teens of color, has Snoop Dogg as a spokesperson and looks like a fruity soda. Makers of Blast claim they will “focus marketing of the product on drinking responsibly.”more

NBC Launches “Hispanics at NBC” Sales-4/5/2011                                                    NBC forms “Hispanics at NBC,” which is an “integrated sales and marketing division that seeks to help marketers and advertisers connect with U.S. Hispanics across 42 NBC brands and their online extension.”more

 

Coca-Cola Executive talks about targeting Latino market-4/5/2011                      According to Coca-Cola executive Frank Ros, 50% of Coca-Cola’s growth in the U.S. will come from the Latino population and “that is a target market” for Coca-Cola. He says, “If we are going to continue to grow, we have to capture the ‘stomach share’ of the Hispanic consumers.”more 

Comcast accepting proposals for African-American and Latino cable channels-4/4/2011 Comcast announces that it plans to launch ten new independent channels over the next eight years. Eight channels will be “Hispanic and African-American” owned. more

Fox Networks Targets Latino Audience with New Channel: Nat Geo Mundo-4/4/2011 Fox Networks is creating a “Fox Hispanic Media” that will include three Spanish language networks, “including a new family-oriented cable channel called Nat Geo Mundo.” An advertising agency representative says: "How to reach Latinos is a huge issue for advertisers right now." more

 Sprite brings back its Step Off competition-3/30/2011                                             Sprite launches the “Sprite Step Off” competition. Prizes include two $100,000 scholarships. Sprite Brand director says, "Sprite sees stepping as a vehicle to empower this innovative generation to spark their creativity and fresh thinking while giving back to the community." The final event features the top six fraternities and six sororities.more

Lead, Other Chemicals Taint Some Urban Gardens-3/23/2011                                 With remnants of once-legal lead paint, leaded gasoline and other pollutants from the nation's industrial past tainting land in U.S. cities, soil researchers warn that the growing number of urban farmers and community gardeners need to test their dirt and take steps to make sure it's safe.more

Pabst targets African American youth with new Colt 45 “Blast” -3/18/2011             U.S. beer supplier Pabst Brewing Co. has partnered with rapper Snoop Dogg to promote a new line of fruit-infused Colt 45 Malt Liquor, called Blast. It will contain fruit flavors and 12% alcohol, which is twice the alcohol level of the original Colt 45. more

Journal article: Sponsorship of physical activity programs by the sweetened beverages industry: public health or public relations? -3/18/2011                             "In order to protect their commercial goals in Latin America, the sugar-sweetened beverage industry practices intense lobbying at high government levels in several countries across the region.” The authors describe Mexico as an example of the public health impact in Latin America: “[in Mexico] consumption of soft drinks doubled in seven years, and overweight and obesity affects nearly three quarters of the adult population and 25% of children. more

 From hamburgers to penne bolognese: A great divide in school lunches -3/18/2011 The availability of food choices near schools is largely shaped by place-based target marketing. It is not a coincidence that lower-income neighborhoods, such as West Oakland, have many more liquor stores that sell unhealthful foods, compared to higher-income districts. Liqour stores are more readily accessible than other grocery stores that have healthier foods and perpetuate the food inequities seen at home, in the neighborhoods, and in schools.more

Bonadea targets its “aguas frescas” to young adults-3/18/2011                             Bonadea, maker of aguas frescas, will use a guerilla, social media-based ad campaign to target young adults (claiming that it wants to reach both Hispanic and non-Hispanic). more

Tecate Expands Marketing to All Hispanic Males-3/18/2011                               “Heineken USA's Tecate beer brand, which until now has focused its U.S. marketing on Mexican male immigrants, is expanding its target audience to all male Hispanics for its new 2011 ‘Celebration’ campaign.” more

Black and Latino Online Media: Who’s Running Things-3/8/2011                             This article discusses whether unique media outlets for Latinos and African-Americans promotes digital segregation. The author also highlights that some are uncomfortable with the idea that “major ethnic media outlets are being run by people with little connection to the community they serve.” more

Coca-Cola to help host the National Hispanic Corporate Council Spring Member Meeting-3/11/2011                                                                                                   Coca-Cola and Cox Enterprises host a two-day conference in April for corporate members, business leaders, and decision-makers to “discuss the stories and highlight the numbers on positioning companies to win in the Hispanic marketplace … explore best practices that deliver results in the areas of marketing, supplier diversity and corporate social responsibility.” more

México puts in children on a diet and bans soft drinks in schools-3/13/2011             México develops new guidelines for foods in schools, including smaller portion sizes, reduced sugar, baked chips (as opposed to fried), and banning soft drinks. Despite these advances, some unhealthful foods remain like lollipops, potato and corn chips, and cookies.more

U.S. Hispanic population is growing, but this isn't your abuela's Latino community-3/14/2011                                                                                                                   Ad Age’s Hernan Lopez highlights that the significant Latino population growth is due to children born in the U.S. from immigrant parents (as opposed to more immigrants arriving to the U.S.). Lopez argues that this new population (what he terms the “new Latino DNA”) is increasingly bilingual, bicultural and demands a different marketing approach, one that isn’t simply marketing in Spanish. more

At the McDonald’s It’s (still) all about the Dollar Menu- 3/3/2011                             BNET’s Melanie Warner argues that while McDonald’s may be introducing so-called “healthier” menu items, such as salads and smoothies, its fast food staples from the Dollar Menu continue to be the most popular items. She highlights that “This gravitational pull towards cheap, reliable fast-food basics is especially true among one of McDonald’s most important demographics — lower income teenagers and young adults, particularly blacks and Hispanics.” more

Quick Study: Latinos Loyal to Committed Companies -3/3/2011                                 A survey by Garcia Trujillo LLC and Newslink Research finds that more than 66% of US Latinos report that they would buy more products from a company that demonstrates commitment to the Latino community and 65% “would be even more loyal to those companies.”more