Could we have a defintion please?

Or is this like porn. We know it if we see it? Look at this survey question done for the Kaiser Family Foundation about obesity in children.

"Please tell me if you would support or oppose each of the following. Do you support or oppose...the federal government regulating television ads for junk food and fast food that are aimed at children and teens the way they do for cigarettes and alcohol?"

I think I know a cigarette (even when promoted by a camel in a cartoon) or a bottle of beer when I see it, but what is "junk food," and what is "fast food?"

McDonald's is called a fast food restaurant. I can choose a lovely apple-walnut dish with yogurt, or a chicken cob salad, or a sausage biscuit. Are these "junk"; are they any "faster" than eating at a Mom and Pop grill because McDonald's has devised an efficient method of feeding large crowds? And what about sugar or chocolate coated cereal or sugery 10% fruit drink blends from mom's refrigerator? Is that junk; is that fast?

In this survey done in Feb. 2004, 53% of the 1,017 national adult sample strongly or somewhat supported federal controls, and 43% strongly or somewhat opposed federal controls.

We do need to control the settings on the TV; but even more so, purchasing and access to snacks--whether they come from a fast food restaurant or the kitchen pantry.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released a new report on advertising embedded in children's programming. It’s Child’s Play: Advergaming and the Online Marketing of Food to Children -- Report. There is a summary, the full report and a news release available at the site.