The increased rates of obesity have become a public health concern because obesity is associated with chronic disease and adverse health outcomes (Institute of Medicine 2005). Furthermore, because obesity is now a characteristic of populations and not only of individuals, researchers, government health organizations, and advocacy groups characterize obesity as an epidemic (Institute of Medicine 2005, 2006a; World Health Organization 2003). As society searches for solutions, food-marketing practices have come under fire for targeting children and are part of the broader social controversy over marketing to children. Much of the controversy focuses on the appropriateness of particular marketing strategies in view of children’s vulnerability (Austin et al. 2005; Seiders and Petty 2004). For example,.
