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.