Watchdog targeting Nick on junk food

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Kids & Junk FoodAdvocates are holding Disney up as a positive role model when it comes to advertising food to children. Change.org praised Disney’s new standards and is urging Nickelodeon to follow suit.


“Nickelodeon should follow Disney’s lead and adopt better standards for food advertising,” said Reasa Currier, who launched the campaign on Change.org. “Nickelodeon’s business is entertaining our children and, as a parent, I have expectations of what kind of messages they are sending my children through both programing and advertisements. Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic that must be fought on all fronts. We all have a responsibility to help our children grow up to be healthy adults. Their future is at stake.”

The organization notes that since 1980 the incidence of childhood obesity is said to have tripled. It also said that according to the Better Business Bureau, 23% of the advertising on Nickelodeon is food-oriented.

RBR-TVBR observation: Mickey Mouse has to be smiling about this one. Media corporations are more used to being under attack by watchdogs. It has to be a refreshing change of pace for Disney to be getting this kind of free publicity – particularly at the expense of a competitor.