Can Food Companies Self-Regulate?

Apparently not, according to this article in yesterday's LA Times:

Companies fall short in advertising healthy foods to children

More than a dozen major companies pledged to push healthier foods two years ago, but study found ads for sugary cereals, fast food and sweet snacks made up more than 70% of the total.

This articles tells us that despite agreements several years ago, 70% of the advertisements targeting children during the period studied are for fast food or sugary snacks.

Ok. So, kids are getting an overload of information persuading them to eat these unhealthy foods.

What about the information about health, nutrition, and sustainable lifestyle choices?

Are there commercials persuading them to eat whole greens and plenty of vegetables?

How about extensive programs in their schools educating them about the basics of eating well, and cooking vegetables?

Not last time I checked.

What continues to concern me, is how much of what most Americans know about nutrition comes from advertisements. Nutrition and health education in American public schools are not arming people with the knowledge they need to make good decisions about what they put into their bodies. And, given the findings of this study that is really cause for concern.