Panel Doesn't Want Junk Food Aimed at Kids

The Institute of Medicine said television advertising strongly influences what children under 12 eat. Their report said the food industry should spend its marketing dollars on nutritious food and drinks. "The foods advertised are predominantly high in calories and low in nutrition -- the sort of diet that puts children's long-term health at risk," said J. Michael McGinnis, a senior scholar at the institute and chairman of the report committee.

The growth in new food products targeted to kids has been huge, from 52 introduced in 1994 to nearly 500 introduced last year, the report said. The panel said the government should use tax breaks and other incentives to encourage the shift away from junk food and said if it doesn't happen, Congress should mandate it.

An arm of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine is congressionally chartered to advise the government on medical issues.

Courtesy of Associated Press