Michelle Obama urges marketing of healthy foods to children

Michelle Obama used the pull of the White House to convene a meeting Wednesday on food marketing to children, stepping directly into the tug of war between health advocates and manufacturers of processed food.
In opening remarks, the first lady asked the dozens of players gathered — representatives from organizations as varied as Taco Bell and the American Heart Association — to agree to work together on marketing healthy food to children.
“Whatever we all might believe about personal responsibility and self-determination, I think we can all agree that it doesn’t apply to children,” Obama said, adding that she had a simple request: “Do even more and move even faster to market responsibly to our kids.”
The meeting in the State Dining room was another sign that Obama, who has become widely known for her campaign against childhood obesity, is more forcefully taking on the role of referee between the politically opposed factions in the food wars.
Rather than beating down corporate food companies, Obama made the business case for more healthful food options, saying that just as she has become a more nutrition-savvy mother so have many other Americans.
“Moms like me are relying on you to help our kids get excited about eating” healthful food, she said, adding that 86 percent of the products marketed to children are loaded with sugar, fat and salt. “Through the magic of marketing and advertising, you all have the power to shape our kids tastes.”
Last year she was on hand for an announcement by Walt Disney Co. that it would ban advertising for junk food from its television channels and theme parks, and Obama said she would be happy to cheer other companies that make similar commitments.
But public health advocates remain suspicious, said Aviva Must, who chairs the department of public health and community medicine at Tufts School of Medicine.
“I think the food companies know a lot about marketing and if they are truly, sincerely marketing healthful foods, they can help shift child consumer demands to a more healthful product,” Must said. “The uneasiness is the extent to which they are sincere partners in changing eating habits.”
Two years ago the Obama administration tried to get the food industry to agree to marketing guidelines that asked companies to market only healthful food to children, Must said. The food industry bucked the attempt at government regulation and instead several large food companies came up with their own set of less-stringent guidelines.
Obama, whom aides describe as a first lady looking to set benchmarks and goals, has remained relentlessly positive that movement can be made on the stubborn issue of childhood obesity.
“For the first time in decades we’re actually starting to move the needle on this issue,” Obama said. “Between 2008 and 2011, obesity rates among low-income preschoolers dropped in 19 states and territories across the country.”
Still, she said, “while we have made important progress, when one in three kids is still on track to develop diabetes . . . then we clearly have much more work to do.”
The first lady said she has seen cultural change around healthy eating, including “chain restaurants selling kale salad.” She suggested food companies could do more to help change children’s eating habits.
“As we all know, treats are one of the best parts of being a kid,” Obama said, noting that she isn’t trying to take those away. “Instead, the goal here is to empower parents instead of undermining them as they try to make healthier choices for their families. And we need you to lead the way in creating demand for healthy foods so that kids actually start pestering us for those foods in the grocery store.”