Chevy Chase, MD—The Endocrine Society announced today its support for Representative Carolyn McCarthy’s (D-NY) Food Marketing in Schools Assessment Act (H.R 3625). The bill, which was first introduced in July 2007, calls for an in-depth study of the nutritional value of foods and drinks marketed in middle and high schools, as well as the vehicles advertisers use to reach young consumers in our nation’s schools.

“Children are exposed to advertisements on billboards, scoreboards, soft drink machines and posters on a daily basis.  Such marketing tactics may lead to poor food choice decisions,” said Robert Vigersky, MD, president of The Endocrine Society. “This study will provide insight for policy makers, parents and school administrators to determine whether the messages directed at school children lead to unhealthy choices and if policies need to be changed.  The Society supports prevention strategies aimed at lowering the prevalence of childhood obesity in our nation and around the world.”

According to a 2006 Arizona State University national survey of district public school officials, 67 percent of district public schools allowed advertising by corporations selling foods of minimal nutritional value or foods high in fat and sugar. In 2005, a California Endowment-funded study of 20 California public schools found that 60 percent of the in-school posters/signage advertised food and beverage products high in fat, trans fat, sugar and sodium to students.

Specifically, the McCarthy Bill:
 
•    Directs the Secretary of Education to study and report to the Congress on the marketing of food and beverages in middle and high schools;
•    Requires the study to assess the nutritional quality of foods, the media through which they are marketed to children in schools, and mechanisms that regulate marketing; and
•    Directs the Secretary of Education to collaborate in the conduct of the study with the Division of Adolescent and School Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 14,000 scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in more than 80 countries. Together, these members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, Md. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.