Bob-RJ said: “BOX 5-2 Recommendations from the 2006 IOM Report Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? Food and beverage companies should use their creativity, resources, and full range of marketing practices to promote and support more healthful diets for children and youth. To implement this recommendation, companies should: * Shift their product portfolios in a direction that promotes new and reformulated child- and youth-oriented foods and beverages that are substantially lower in total calories, lower in fats, salt, and added sugars, and higher in nutrient content. * Shift their advertising and marketing emphasis to child- and youth-oriented foods and beverages that are substantially lower in total calories, lower in fats, salt, and added sugars, and higher in nutrient content (see later recommendations on public policy and monitoring). * Work with government, scientific, public health, and consumer groups to develop and implement labels and advertising for an empirically validated industry-wide rating system and graphic representation that is appealing to children and youth to convey the nutritional quality of foods and beverages marketed to them and their families. * Engage the full range of their marketing vehicles and venues to develop and promote healthier appealing and affordable foods and beverages for children and youth. Full serve restaurant chains, family restaurants, and quick serve restaurants should use their creativity, resources, and full range of marketing practices to promote healthful meals for children and youth. To implement this recommendation, restaurants should: * Expand and actively promote healthier food, beverage and meal options for children and youth. * Provide calorie content and other key nutrition information, as possible, on menus and packaging that is prominently visible at the point of choice and use. Food, beverage, restaurant, retail, and marketing industry trade associations should assume transforming leadership roles in harnessing industry creativity, resources, and marketing on behalf of healthful diets for children and youth. To implement this recommendation, trade associations should: * Encourage member initiatives and compliance to develop, apply, and enforce industry-wide food and beverage marketing practice standards that support healthful diets for children and youth. * Provide technical assistance, encouragement, and support for members’ efforts to emphasize the development and marketing of healthier foods, beverages, and meals for children and youth.”

Bob-RJ said: “As a Lawrence Breakfast Optimist Club (LBOC) member & General Mills retiree, I've monitored that firm's corporate social responsibility initiatives on this vital concern: Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up? Copyright © 2010. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. …… Available: http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/ ….. Corporate social responsibility in the 21st century: A view from the world's most successful firms. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11722&page=167”