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"In some ways, this marketing push has been happening for years: Companies hawking a variety of goods, from diamonds to digital cameras, have been eager to get parent bloggers to write posts that tout their products. But recently, these bloggers say, food companies have upped the ante, bombarding them with free trips to corporate kitchens and mountains of edible swag."

Obesity as many of us know, is a growing problem in the United States. It is extremely prevalent among the younger generation, as kids are more susceptible to advertisements on television and on the Internet. As this article states, children have a great influence over the food their parents buy. To put it bluntly, children can be annoying. They can scream and yell, essentially embarrassing you into buying them whatever they want. Years ago, discipline amongst parents was much stricter and a child who mouthed off would be subject to corporal punishment. However, society has greatly evolved, and in many families, the power balance among children and adults has shifted. Fast food advertisers are aware of this and take full advantage by placing commercials during popular television networks like Disney channel and Nickelodeon. Also, as the Internet has become more popular amongst young adults, advertisements for sugary snacks and greasy fried food have also increased. Obesity will continue to be a big issue in the United States but we can no longer only place the blame on the lack of options in supermarkets or parents themselves but rather advertisements in media that are negatively influencing children causing them to make bad decisions.

@ Scholastic removes Bratz branded products from school book clubs - a campaign by the CCFC helped mobilize parents to complain. Note comments about reading in the later paragraphs.

"Kiran Bir Sethi shows how her groundbreaking Riverside School in India teaches kids life's most valuable lesson: "I can." Watch her students take local issues into their own hands, lead other young people, even educate their parents."

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families.