Preamble
We, the undersigned concerned citizens, parents, educators, and health advocates, respectfully submit this petition requesting immediate action to protect the health and well-being of the nation's children and adolescents. We recognize the profound impact of broadcast media on public behavior and nutritional choices, and we assert that the current pervasive advertising of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods (commonly referred to as "junk food") during times when children constitute a significant portion of the viewing audience contributes directly to the escalating crisis of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related chronic diseases.
The Problem
Exploitation of Children: Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to persuasive advertising techniques. Studies consistently show that exposure to junk food advertising increases children's immediate and long-term consumption of these products.
Public Health Crisis: Childhood obesity rates remain alarmingly high, imposing massive future healthcare costs on families and the public. Dietary habits established in youth often persist into adulthood.
Conflict with Public Interest: The public airwaves, licensed and regulated by the FCC, are intended to serve the public interest. Broadcasters permitting heavy rotation of advertisements for products known to undermine public health, especially during peak children's viewing hours, runs contrary to this mandate.
Request for Action
We petition your respective bodies to enact and enforce a regulation prohibiting the broadcasting of advertisements for food and beverage products that are high in saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugars (i.e., "junk food") over the public airwaves on all regulated networks (including broadcast television and radio) until 9:00 p.m. local time.
Proposed Legislative/Regulatory Rationale
Congress and the President: We urge you to pass legislation supporting this restriction and to direct the appropriate regulatory bodies to prioritize this public health measure.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC): We urge the FCC to exercise its authority to regulate broadcast content in the public interest by issuing a specific rule regarding the timing of junk food advertising, recognizing the need to shield minors from manipulative and harmful commercial speech, similar to existing restrictions on other types of content. The 9:00 p.m. watershed is a widely recognized standard for protecting children from inappropriate content.
Conclusion
By implementing this reasonable and targeted restriction, our government can take a critical, preventative step to reshape the nutritional environment for children, support parents and schools in their efforts to teach healthy eating, and ultimately mitigate the long-term public health and economic burden of diet-related diseases.
We ask for your serious consideration and immediate action on this vital matter.
