• by Michael Shields , June 3, 2004

As the nation struggles with rampant obesity, particularly among children, the advertising industry has come under increasing criticism by some children's advocacy groups for contributing to the problem. Food manufacturers have long been accused by many of pounding vulnerable children over the head with ad messages intended to incite them to devour junk food.

In hopes of shifting the attention elsewhere, the National Advertising Review Council (NARC) Wednesday released a white paper outlining the ad industry's own self-regulatory procedures. The report, "Guidance for Food Advertising Self-Regulation," represents the ad industry's first attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of its own policing of food-related advertising. The release comes as leaders from the medical community, food industry, advertisers, and government officials gathered in Williamsburg, Va., during an ABC News/Time Summit on Obesity, which was hosted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Last fall, ABC News aired a special on the obesity epidemic that presented several outspoken critics of children's TV advertising. Pressure has continued to mount as many critics call for a closer look at its effects. Perhaps in response, the report's release was in part urged by the trade organization Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), which claims major food manufacturers as members. These companies, along with advertising agencies and TV networks, have a vested interest in avoiding any further regulation of the children's advertising industry. Spending in the most recent kids TV upfront was estimated to be between $850 to $900 million dollars, with a considerable portion coming from food advertising.

Michael Diegel, director of communications at the GMA, said that advertisers often don't get enough credit for self-policing. "We asked NARC to publicize the group's rules, to raise visibility of the success of the ANA," he said. "We think we do act responsibly."

The NARC report chronicles the history of successful self-regulation by advertisers and food manufacturers over the last several decades, including the addition of nutritional information on products, the removal of trans fat from snacks, and new lines of nutritionally enhanced products. While successful at achieving its goal at regulation, the group's work has suffered from a low profile, according to Jim Guthrie, NARC president and CEO.

"There was an apparent widespread lack of awareness of our self-regulatory system," he said. "Our visibility and even our awareness could be improved dramatically."

The newly issued white paper attempts to increase the visibility of the work of NARC's subsidiary group, the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU), which provides advertisers with guidelines for advertising to children, and monitors and identifies those who violate them.

"I could not ask for a better archival document of our effectiveness," Guthrie said. "CARU's guidelines for creating children's advertising are as effective as anybody's."

Earlier this year, as the national obesity problem came to the forefront, several organizations, such as the American Psychological Association, called for sharp federal restrictions on commercials aimed at young children. In fact, the APA issued a report in February that directly linked TV advertising to obesity among children. The ANA was not impressed with yesterday's white paper. "Self-regulation has been in place for decades, and has accomplished little," said Dale Kunkel, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, who helped author the APA's February report. "It is too vague to be enforced, and often rules are avoided entirely."

Kunkel cited the example of voluntary disclaimers in kids advertising--such as "part of a balanced breakfast"--which he said are not understood by children. "If self-regulation were the answer, we wouldn't have the current problem that we do with junk food advertising to children," he added. Susan Linn, the author of the forthcoming book "Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood," respects CARU's intentions, but believes they fall far short of being effective. "CARU is not adequate," she said. "A lot of their guidelines and principles are very good, but they have a very small staff. They aren't adequate to monitor all of the ads marketers target to kids today."

Linn, who is also an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School as well as a proponent of the group Stop Commercial Exploitation of Children, believes that NARC's report may be preemptive in nature. "I think they think regulation is coming," she said of child marketers. "I think they are scared."

While critics were dismissive, the ANA was tooting its own horn. In his daily blog on the ANA Web site, Bob Liodice, President and CEO of the Association of National Advertisers, wrote: "The ANA applauds this effort and everyone associated with it. It is truly superb. It brings so many elements of the self-regulatory process together in a most cohesive, comprehensive and comprehendible manner."

Back in March, Liodice spoke on this subject before Congress during a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Competition, Infrastructure, and Foreign Commerce of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.