Markets Wired

The Federal Trade Commission announced the agenda and speakers for its December 15, 2009 public forum titled “Sizing Up Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity.”

The forum participants will present new research on the impact of various food advertising techniques on children and discuss the statutory and constitutional issues surrounding governmental regulation of food marketing. Panelists also will address the food and entertainment industries’ self-regulatory efforts and implementation of the recommendations in the FTC’s 2008 report, “Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities, and Self-Regulation.” http://www.ftc.gov/os/2008/07/P064504foodmktingreport.pdf In addition, the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children – comprised of representatives from the FTC, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Department of Agriculture – will report on the status of recommended nutritional standards for foods marketed to children, followed by a Town Hall discussion.

An agenda for the forum is available here http://ftc.gov/bcp/workshops/sizingup/Agenda.pdf. Updated information will be posted as it becomes available.

Pre-registration:

The forum is free and open to the public. It takes place at the FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center, 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC. Pre-registration is not necessary, but is encouraged so the FTC may better plan this event. Please note that pre-registration will not guarantee a seat at the event; seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Those pre-registering should send their name, affiliation, and e-mail address to childhoodobesity@ftc.gov. The FTC will use pre-registration information to estimate the likely audience for the forum, and may use the e-mail address to contact registrants with information about the forum.

Note: When you pre-register, the FTC collects your name, affiliation, and e-mail address. We will use this information for administrative purposes related to the forum only and will dispose of it after the forum ends. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or other laws, we may be required to disclose the information you provide to outside organizations. For additional information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see the FTC Privacy Policy. The FTC Act and other laws the FTC enforces allow this information to be collected for the purposes described above.

Reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Requests should be submitted via e-mail to cmcglothlin@ftc.gov or by calling Carrie McGlothlin at 202-326-3388. Requests should be made in advance. Please include a detailed description of the accommodation needed, and provide contact information.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 1,700 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s Web site provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.