As Fast Food Ads Target Kids, Hospital Offers Healthy Solution

In November, Yale's non-profit Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity released a comprehensive study of fast food nutrition and marketing. Its survey showed how fast food marketers target children across a variety of media -- and in restaurants.

The authors' evaluation of marketing practices revealed the fast food industry spent more than $4.2 billion on marketing and advertising in 2009. They found preschoolers see 21 percent more fast food ads on TV than they saw in 2003, and somewhat older children see 34 percent more.

The news came as no surprise to the staff members at Beaumont's Weight Control Center in Royal Oak. They have a program directed toward children between the ages of 3 and 18, so they understand the challenges families face when finding high-quality, nutritious foods in restaurants or on the go.

Obesity among children has more than tripled since the 1970s, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveys. The percentage of kids between 2 and 19 who were obsess rose from 5.5 percent in the 1976-1980 survey to 16.9 percent between 2007 and 2008, the CDC found.

Children and teens with weight problems are more likely to experience high blood pressure and cholesterol, bone and joint problems, as well as sleep apnea, Beaumont experts say. They also suffer from social issues such as teasing and experience poor self-esteem.

The nation's dietary changes are among the top reasons for this epic change, according to Dr. Wendy Miller, interim director of Preventive Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

"Americans in general are drinking more sugar sweetened dinks, including soft drinks and juices," Miller said, noting that studies show today's kids are receiving more calories from snack foods in their daily diets than in previous years.

Beaumont's Healthy Kids Program teaches young people – and their families – to change their eating habits through better nutrition, exercise and behavior changes. The 12-session program is intended to changes a family's lifestyles, ensuring all members find healthier ways to approach eating that last a lifetime.

"There is no cookie-cutter approach to what we do here at Beaumont. We value patient input," said Dr. Jackie Odom, director of psychology and a clinical psychologist.

"Everybody knows how to lose weight; keeping it off is the issue," Odom said. "Calorie restriction alone is not the answer. The key is lifestyle changes, like eating every three hours (and) getting a daily form of exercise."

One family that has benefitted from the program is Clawson's Melissa and Autumn Stanley. Mom Melissa suffered from teasing as a child for her weight, and she noticed 10-year-old Autumn was going through similar issues.

Since their participation in the Healthy Kids Program, Melissa reports Autumn has started reading food labels and asking for lower-fat items when the pair visits the grocery store. The mom-and-daughter duo also exercise daily, enjoying a walk or bike ride together.

"The program was a commitment, but I would do it all over again," Melissa said. "We are healthier for it."