Star Tribune
By Emily FredRrix , Associated Press
September 23, 2008
Combating the growing obesity problem among children will require stronger action at all levels from food makers to governments and schools, witnesses told U.S. lawmakers Tuesday at a hearing about how foods are marketed to kids.
Some members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations in Washington heard from government entities including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the country's largest food maker, Kraft Foods Inc., as they decide what measures might be necessary.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, the head of the CDC, said children can't make healthy food decisions for themselves and they and their parents are being influenced by advertising. She said researchers must understand the relationship between advertising and obesity, and that there should be standards and agreement on what healthy choices are.