The Walt Disney Company has announced that they are upping their involvement in ending childhood obesity, and will be creating a series of regulations aimed at promoting healthy eating habits across their media platforms.
First, the company will be banning advertisements on their kid-focused t.v. channels, radio stations and websites that do not meet nutritional standards. They will also be reducing the amount of sodium found in children’s meals at Disney theme parks by 25% while increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables sold in their parks. This change will increase the availability of fruits and veggies from 350 to 400 food establishments by 2013.
Additionally, The Walt Disney Company plan to create a series of public service announcements aimed at promoting healthy eating and lifestyle choices for kids and using the Mickey Check label on Disney-branded food products that meet nutritional requirements for calories, sodium, sugar and saturated fat.
Says Disney CEO Robert Iger:
Parents can be confident that foods associated with Disney characters or advertised on Disney platforms meet our new, healthier nutrition guidelines.
While the company will strive to exclude as many unhealthy foods as possible, there will be some products – like SpaghettiO’s – that will make it into television advertisements based on the criteria set forth by Disney. The new ad restrictions will be fully in effect beginning in 2015.
