Last week, the influential American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended a ban on fast or junk food commercials as a means of combating childhood obesity. Their claim is that the disappearance of such catchy TV jingles would reduce the number of overweight children by nearly 20 percent.
This week, on Forbes.com, ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan calls their bluff. Noting that the AAP never actually defines junk food (Is it food high in fat like an avocado? Or foods high in sugar like orange juice?), she points out: "Focusing on 'junk food' (whatever that is) is missing the broad picture that would include the full spectrum of calories we consume daily from all sources. Banning ads for 'junk food' will do absolutely nothing to reduce childhood obesity."
You can read the entirety of Dr. Whelan s op-ed here.