• ANA Blog, Wednesday, December 7, 2005 12 PM

In a scathing, 800-word posting on his blog, Association of National Advertisers President-CEO Bob Liodice attacked the Institute of Medicine's report linking TV advertising for food products to obesity in kids as "irresponsible" and "shameful." Liodice readily acknowledged that advertising influences consumers' purchasing habits. "But to lay the blame of childhood obesity on the doorstep of advertisers is outrageously irresponsible and downright shameful," he wrote. "The Institute of Medicine ought to be embarrassed by their recommendation to have Congress enact legislation mandating the shift of advertising to what are considered 'healthy foods.'" Liodice goes on to point out that while food advertising on children's programming has declined over the last 25 years, obesity levels continued to rise. "This one sheer fact should cause the IOM... to rethink that advertising is the culprit in this blame game."

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