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Suit Seeks to Stop Kellogg from Targeting Kids (Food Nazis)
Yahoo! News (Reuters) ^ | 1/18/2006 | n/a

Posted on 01/18/2006 2:08:04 PM PST by Pyro7480

Suit seeks to stop Kellogg from targeting kids

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A consumer group wants to keep Tony the Tiger from promoting sugary cereals on the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon show, or anywhere else kids are watching.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest on Wednesday announced legal action to try to stop the Kellogg Co., maker of cereals like Frosted Flakes, and Nickelodeon cable network Viacom Inc., from marketing junk food to children.

A planned lawsuit will ask a Massachusetts court to stop the companies from marketing junk foods in venues where 15 percent or more of the audience is under age 8, and to stop marketing junk foods through Web sites, toy giveaways, contests and other techniques aimed at that age group.

The planned lawsuit in Massachusetts is the latest attempt to use the courts to try to battle the growing obesity crisis in the United States.

A widely watched lawsuit filed in 2002 accused fast-food leader McDonald's Corp. of using misleading advertising to lure children into eating unhealthy foods. McDonald's has called that lawsuit frivolous and parts of the case have been dismissed.

In the Massachusetts case, plaintiffs contend that the two companies are harming children since the overwhelming majority of food products they market to children are high in items such as sugar and fat or nearly devoid of nutrients.

"We have not been served with any legal papers," Nickelodeon said. "That said, Nickelodeon has been an acknowledged leader and positive force in educating and encouraging kids to live healthier lifestyles, as well as in the ongoing process of encouraging advertisers to provide more balance in their offerings, and we will continue to do so."

Nickelodeon has also licensed its characters for "good-for-you" products, such as a deal that has SpongeBob characters on packages of Grimmway carrots.

Kellogg could not be immediately reached for comment.

Of 168 ads for food that appeared on Nickelodeon during a review in the fall, 88 were for foods with poor nutritional quality, the center said. Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants were also used on packages of "junk foods" like Kellogg's Wild Bubble Berry Pop-Tarts, the center said.

Meanwhile, the center also reviewed 27.5 hours of Saturday morning programming and found 98 percent of the commercials promoted what it called "nutritionally poor foods."

"As a parent, I do my best to get my kids to eat healthy foods," Sherri Carlson, a plaintiff and mother of three, said in the center's news release. "But then they turn on Nickelodeon and see all those enticing junk-food ads."

Besides the Center for Science in the Public Interest, other plaintiffs in the case include the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Andrew Leong, a parent from Brookline, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts law requires that companies be given 30 days notice before a lawsuit is filed and the Center for Science in the Public Interest said it was giving that notice on Wednesday.

(With reporting by Kenneth Li in New York, Nichola Groom in Los Angeles, and Jessica Wohl in Chicago)


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: childhoodobesity; food; foodpolice; kellogg; marketing; nickelodeon; suit; viacom
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My solution: Turn off the bloody TV!
1 posted on 01/18/2006 2:08:08 PM PST by Pyro7480
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To: Pyro7480

2 posted on 01/18/2006 2:12:45 PM PST by RedBloodedAmerican
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To: Pyro7480

My solution is to let the parents decide what their kids eat, and to leave the food Nazis out of it..


3 posted on 01/18/2006 2:14:42 PM PST by JoanneSD
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To: Pyro7480
So much for Freedom of Commerce...

I'll betcha anything that these people who take such extreme offense with "junk" cereal wouldn't so much as gasp at the content of Desperate Housewives.

4 posted on 01/18/2006 2:15:10 PM PST by ExcursionGuy84 ("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
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To: Pyro7480

Head start program loads up more than 2,000 calories in the breakfast, presuming that the child won't have lunch or dinner.

No talk of changing that to identify which kids don't get fed any other time of day and which kids get a lunch too and which get 2 other meals a day.


5 posted on 01/18/2006 2:15:18 PM PST by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
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To: Pyro7480

"Besides the Center for Science in the Public Interest, other plaintiffs in the case include the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and Andrew Leong, a parent from Brookline, Massachusetts."

We know that the Chicago based "policy group" is the work of one person. My thought is that Leong is the founder and soul population of the Boston "policy group" as well as a relative or close personal friend of the Chicago group.

And, they both waste long hours on their PC posting to DU.


6 posted on 01/18/2006 2:15:51 PM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (Enguiring minds want to know)
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To: Pyro7480

It takes a village idiot to raise a child.

Those parents who require their children to eat healty will. The others wont...but its none of these red, pinko, socialst, consumer-watch-dog butt wipes business or Hillary Clintons business how individual families deal with their nutrition.

This is that same Commie consumer-watch-dog crap that Ralphie boy Nader (Nadir = the bottom) pulls all the time.

You gotta hate these busy bodies.


7 posted on 01/18/2006 2:16:10 PM PST by Vaquero ("An armed society is a polite society" Robert Heinlein)
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To: Pyro7480

You know, the presumption of this is as follows: Kelloggs advertises to kids. Kids ask their parents to buy advertised cereal. Parents are helpless to resist child's request, therefore, Kelloggs is directly responsible for every malady facing children today.

Oh, brother.


8 posted on 01/18/2006 2:16:19 PM PST by Obadiah
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To: Pyro7480
The Center for Science in the Public Interest as I understand it these are NOT Scientist nor do they have anything to do with public interest. They are anti Capitalist who are, like the ACLU, out to destroy the United States as a free Capitalist country.
9 posted on 01/18/2006 2:17:25 PM PST by YOUGOTIT
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To: Pyro7480
"As a parent, I do my best to get my kids to eat healthy foods," Sherri Carlson, a plaintiff and mother of three, said in the center's news release. "But then they turn on Nickelodeon and see all those enticing junk-food ads."

Idiot wimpy parent. Who soes the grocery shopping in your family lady? You or the kids? Learn to tell your children "NO". It will NOT kill them.

10 posted on 01/18/2006 2:17:36 PM PST by PleaseNoMore
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To: Pyro7480
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood

On the front of the Commercial Box, there in a button that, when depressed, will engage the Commercial-Free Childhood.
11 posted on 01/18/2006 2:18:02 PM PST by msnimje (Senate Democrats ----------- Sound and Fury Signifying INSIGNIFICANCE)
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To: Pyro7480

12 posted on 01/18/2006 2:18:27 PM PST by Physicist
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To: Vaquero

You hit it! Government programs create permanent underclasses which spark clinical depression in those who are most vulnerable and is manifested in obesity.


13 posted on 01/18/2006 2:18:38 PM PST by saveliberty (Proud to be Head Snowflake, Bushbot and a new member of Sam's Club)
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To: Pyro7480
The Center for Science in the Public Interest on Wednesday announced legal action to try to stop the Kellogg Co., maker of cereals like Frosted Flakes, and Nickelodeon cable network Viacom Inc., from marketing junk food to children.

LOL! When was the last time you saw children in a super market doing their own shopping?
This is ridiculous. Their parents buy the stuff.

14 posted on 01/18/2006 2:18:52 PM PST by Fiddlstix (Tagline Repair Service. Let us fix those broken Taglines. Inquire within(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Pyro7480

Amy Kellogg

15 posted on 01/18/2006 2:19:15 PM PST by lormand (...the wrong person came out of the water that fateful night in Chappaquiddick)
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To: Physicist

LOL! I love Calvin and Hobbes.


16 posted on 01/18/2006 2:20:13 PM PST by Pyro7480 (Sancte Joseph, terror daemonum, ora pro nobis!)
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To: Pyro7480
I wonder of these same people are upset that homosexual groups are targeting their children and using programs at school to do so.
17 posted on 01/18/2006 2:20:45 PM PST by Diva Betsy Ross (Embrace peace- Hug an American soldier- the real peace keepers.)
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To: Pyro7480

Why do they think they have the right to bring this lawsuit? Don't you need to be personally hurt or something?

Or did they do away with that rule for do-googers in MA?


18 posted on 01/18/2006 2:21:43 PM PST by MeanWestTexan (Many at FR would respond to Christ "Darn right, I'll cast the first stone!")
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To: Pyro7480

My 4-year-old always goes grocery shopping with me. When she points out something I don't want her to have, I say "no". Guess I should just give into her demands then sue the company that makes the product. (rolling eyes..)


19 posted on 01/18/2006 2:21:47 PM PST by Millee (Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.)
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To: YOUGOTIT
"out to destroy the United States"

Sheesh, lay off the conspiracy crack pipe for awhile will ya? That is just a BIT much!

20 posted on 01/18/2006 2:22:57 PM PST by Windsong (Jesus Saves, but Buddha makes incremental backups)
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