Workgroup statement of purpose

The need to limit unhealthy food marketing to children has never been more urgent. According to the Institute of Medicine, most foods marketed to children are high in sugars, saturated fat, and salt — and marketing influences what children and adolescents eat. Aggressive, widespread food marketing undermines parents’ attempts to feed their children healthfully. Food companies spend $2 billion annually to reach children through television, the Internet, mobile phones, magazines, product placement in movies and television, product packages, toys, and anywhere else a logo or product image can be shown. The Food Marketing Workgroup (FMW) believes we can and must do better.

The FMW is dedicated to eliminating harmful food marketing — particularly marketing aimed at those who are most vulnerable to obesity and other nutrition-related diseases — by actively identifying, investigating, and advocating changes to marketing practices that  undermine health.

The FMW fosters ideas and momentum around national, state, and local strategies. It serves as a forum for researchers and advocates to share information, support one another’s work, and identify priorities for research and action.

The FMW shares what it learns with parents, the public, and policymakers. It also appeals directly to companies to improve their marketing practices. The FMW includes more than 225 organizations and individual experts from diverse fields.