"The report shows that a child aged 8-12 can be expected to view 7,600 ads promoting food in a single year."

"The report confirms growing concern from advocates and some legislators that aggressive marketing is exposing kids to repeated messages promoting low-"

" food. In a report last year, the Institute of Medicine pegged food marketing as a key contributor to rising childhood "

"Spots for candy, snacks, cereal, and fast food made up more than two-thirds of all food ads aimed at children, the study shows. None of the nearly 9,000 ads reviewed promoted fruits or vegetables. "

"Walter Gantz, PhD, a University of Indiana researcher who conducted the study, says children aged 2 to 7 view an average of 12 food advertisements a day. "For a year, that works out to be about 4,400 ads," he says."

" appear to young children only once every two or three days. "Clearly there's plenty of room for growth in this area," Gantz says."

"Eleven large food manufacturers pledged late last year to curtail marketing of unhealthy food during television programs. The companies said they would move to shift half of child-targeted ads to healthy foods or healthy lifestyles."

"Companies are moving to act voluntarily under threat of new regulations from both Democrats and Republicans. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), says he's watching for companies to take substantial steps toward curtailing junk food marketing."

""If things are not working together and things are not happening, I think you're going to see a much stronger regulatory regime," he says. Brownback, a candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, declined to say what specifically would need to happen to prevent him from pursuing new advertising laws."

"Companies say the report, which took data from 2005, does not reflect recent changes in advertising practices. "The current landscape has dramatically changed," says Daniel Jaffee, executive vice-president of the Association of National Advertisers."

"The voluntary pledge from manufacturers applies to half the ads on shows targeted to children, though such shows make up only about one-third
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