Tag: children
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FTC Subpoenas 48 Food Companies in Follow-Up to Youth Marketing Study
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has ordered 48 food companies “to file a special report” on their youth marketing practices in an effort “to measure the effect that self-regulation has had over the last three years,” according to FTC spokesperson Carol Jennings. The companies have 90 days to respond to the subpoenas, which will assist…
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IOM Workshop to Target Legal Strategies for Preventing Childhood Obesity
The National Academies’ Institute of Medicine Standing Committee on Childhood Obesity Prevention will convene a public workshop on October 21, 2010, in Washington, D.C., to “highlight the evidence on current and potential legal strategies and their outcomes” in the prevention of childhood obesity. The gathering of researchers, policy makers, legal scholars, industry representatives, and public…
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U.S. Researchers Claim That Overweight Youth Are Getting Heavier
Overweight Americans ages 2 to 19 have become heavier over the last decade, according to a newly published study. May Beydoun & Youfa Wang, “Sociodemographic disparities in distribution shifts over time in various adiposity measures among American children and adolescents: What changes in prevalence rates could not reveal,” International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, August 2010.…
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Parents Sue Online Companies for Spying on Kids
A lawsuit filed in a federal court in California by a putative class of parents on behalf of their children alleges that Clearspring Technologies, Inc. and other companies used an online tracking device that enabled their websites to access and disclose users’ online activities and personal information. White v. Clearspring Techs., Inc., No. 10-5948 (C.D. Cal.,…
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Non-Profit Sues Nestlé Alleging Deceptive Advertising of Children’s Nutrition Drink
The National Consumers League has filed a consumer fraud action in a Washington, D.C. court against Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition, Inc., alleging that the company falsely advertises its BOOST Kid Essentials® drinks as products that can strengthen children’s immune systems and aid their digestive systems. The Nat’l Consumers League v. Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition, Inc., No. 5772-10 (D.C.…
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San Francisco Considers Restricting Restaurant Toy Giveaways; Advocacy Group Calls for End to Action-Figure Happy Meal Promotion
Three elected San Francisco officials recently introduced legislation to amend the city’s health code by restricting restaurant toy giveaways to only those meals that meet stringent nutritional guidelines. The Healthy Food Incentives Ordinance (10196) would apply to all San Francisco restaurants, but mostly affect fast food establishments that offer toys linked to the purchase of…
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FTC Chair Testifies About Aggressive Children’s Privacy Agenda
During a recent Senate committee hearing on consumer privacy, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Jon Leibowitz described “aggressive” efforts the agency has undertaken to protect children’s online privacy. He referred to actions taken over the past decade against website operators that collected information from children without parental consent, as required by federal law. Among the…
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FTC Settles First Probiotics Advertising Case, Nestlé to Stop Touting Health Benefits
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced a settlement with Nestlé HealthCare Nutrition, Inc., which the agency contends has deceptively marketed a children’s drink, BOOST Kid Essentials®, as a product clinically shown to reduce illness in children by strengthening the immune system and helping them recover more quickly from diarrhea. The beverage, intended for children…