On Your Side
Turning fatty foods into a digital 'game' for kids is a growing concern for doctors
Aimee Yoon's children like to play with their food, but not in the way that you might think. Using touch screen tablets and mobile devices, they swirl slushy drinks, jiggle gelatin snacks, and flick lollipops. "I think as long as the game is engaging to them then they're kind of hooked and want to keep playing it," Aimee says. Aimee's kids are part of the estimated 1.2 million children who play 'advergames' - branded, interactive games designed to market products. Available via apps and web sites, they typically tout cereals, candy, and fast food--raising concern among childhood health and nutrition experts. Dr. Jennifer Harris works at the Yale Rudd Center. She explains, "When children played the unhealthy advergames they ate about 50% more snack food immediately afterwards than kids who didn't play those games." Right now, the FTC does not have the authority to regulate marketing food to children, but recommends companies only advertise foods that meet 'meaningful nutrition standards.' Mary Engle with the Federal Trade Commission says there's a problem with this. She explains, "The government doesn't define meaningful nutrition standards. Right now, it's up to each individual company to decide what that is." The FTC, along with 3 other agencies, drafted voluntary food marketing guidelines for children, but the push lost steam in Congress. "The FTC would certainly like to see more uniformity in the nutrition standards,' she says. The Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative is made up of 16 major food companies. The group has made a pledge to market healthier foods to children. Elaine Kolish is with CFBAI. She says people will see foods, "With less sugar, less sodium, less fat, fewer calories, and more of the good stuff, fruits and vegetables and whole grains and fiber." Still, some companies claim their advergames aren't targeting children, but older teens and adults, so they're free from those guidelines. "Our job is not to tell parents how to parent, or tell them what media or what apps or web sites their children should watch or engage with," Kolish says. Aimee knows advergames aren't child's play. "My kids are still at a age where i have enough control over what i'm putting on their plate." The Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative has issued a set of new, uniform nutrition criteria that places limits on things like calories, sugar and saturated fat.
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