Children spend as much as four and a half hours each day watching television and are influenced by the programming and advertising they see. In 2010, one out of every three American children was obese or overweight. As childhood obesity rises, there is an opportunity for the FCC to examine the impact of the media,children's television programming and advertising on this growing health concern.
While the direct relationship between food marketing and childhood obesity has yet to be established, the federal government can take several steps to help improve the media environment for our children and promote healthier lifestyles. In 2010, the FCC joined the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity and released a report to the president, entitled "Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation." The commission worked closely with the FTC, the FDA and HHS on the food marketing section of the report. For more information, visit the FCC's Parent's Place.