CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you are getting ready to fix the kids breakfast, listen to this, public health experts say nearly five million children are overweight. One public watchdog group says the marketing techniques by some food makers only adds to the problem. Our Christy Feig has more for you on that.</s>CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Toys that market fast food, games that promote candy, snacks tied to movies or sports figures, these are just some of the marketing techniques condemned by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.</s>MICHAEL JACOBSON, CENTER FOR SCIENCE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST: Parents have a virtually impossible job when manufacturers, retailers and restaurants use every trick in the book to hook kids on their brands of processed foods.</s>FEIG: Jacobson says these types of ads are bombarding children from every direction and that's driving the obesity epidemic in children.</s>MARY STORY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA: For every $1 spent by the USDA on child nutrition education, $10 is spent by the food industry promoting sugary foods, high fat snacks, soft drinks.</s>FEIG (on camera): Now the Center for Science in the Public Interest is sending a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, asking them to work with Congress to ban junk food advertising to kids. (voice-over): But the industry says there is no evidence these ads are influencing what children eat.</s>LISA KATIC, GROCERY MANUFACTURERS OF AMERICA: They imply that you know using Saturday morning TV as a way to advertise is only on food. In fact that's not true. Most of the ads are, you know, on video games or toys or, you know, other things that appeal to children.</s>FEIG: They also say obesity is a complex issue and trying to single out advertising as the cause is missing the point. Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.
Eating Healthy: Junk Food & Kids