Diabetes News

This a follow-up to yesterday's item about the Kaiser Family Foundation's study on how kids are bombarded with TV ads that peddle junk food.

As I've stated here before, such massive marketing to kids is one that offends me greatly, because our innocent, defenseless children are basically being almost brainwashed to eat their culprit carb foods. Not only could all this junk food lead to obesity, but it could trigger many other health and emotional problems.

Kids eating lots of junk food could have difficulty concentrating, get headaches, be excessively exhausted, anxious, depressed, moody, and even get bad grades.

Anyhow, see this thoughtful, thorough New York Times article from Elizabeth Olson today about the new study.

She writes:

"For years, health officials have warned that bombarding children with junk food commercials has contributed to the problem of childhood obesity. Food conglomerates, eager to fend off federal regulation, have made various commitments to improve, including a pledge in December to meet goals for promoting fitness and healthier foods.

"The Kaiser Family Foundation{cq} released a study yesterday that it said provides a way to measure the companies’ progress. The foundation, a nonprofit group that focuses on health care issues, found that 50 percent of ad time on children’s shows is devoted to food. Among the ads aimed at children and teenagers, 72 percent are for candy, snacks, sugary cereals or fast food."

The repoter continues:

"These advertisements `are largely for products that children should be eating less of, not more of, if we’re going to get a handle on childhood obesity,' said Victoria J. Rideout, director of the foundation’s program for the study of entertainment media and health.

Of the food ads that the study examined, 34 percent were for candy and snacks, 28 percent for cereal and 10 percent for fast food. Ms. Rideout said that almost 100 percent of the cereals were sugared."

Do take time to read Elizabeth Olson's entire New York Times story. It's a great overview about the situation and the food industry's defensive, "I've changed!" reaction.

Live in the Northeast? Wanna learn how not to get duped by those often misleading food labels? And have some fun laughing at Connie, the "Ex-Sugar Shrew"-turned-"Sugar Sleuth"?

Watch me on the "Your Morning" show on CN8, The Comcast Network, when anchor and managing editor Connie Colla interviews me out of Philadelphia at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow (Tues., Feb. 6) about foods with hidden sugars. (Cool, I get to chat with another Connie!)

Tune in to get helpful, juicy pointers so you can choose foods that don't contain all those unnecessary sweeteners.

Don't fret if you don't live in Philly. As the CN8 website explains, this network has a tremendous reach.

In fact, more than 9 million Comcast cable homes in 12 states and 20 TV markets from Maine to Virginia to Washington, D.C., will be able to to catch my interview tomorrow.

CN8, as its website explains, offers "a unique brand of live, interactive television delivered over its own fiber-optic network."

To clarify, you'll be able to watch me on CN8 Tuesday morning in any of the following areas:

• Albany
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Burlington
• Charlottesville
• Hartford-New Haven
• Harrisburg
• Harrisonburg
• Johnston-Altoona
• New York
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Portland
• Providence
• Richmond
• Roanoke-Lynchburg
• Salisbury
• Springfield
• Washington, D.C.
• Wilkes Barre-Scranton

We're sure to have an eye-opening segment...

But I'll give you a little hint now though.... Why avoid all these hidden sugars? Well, all those sweeteners can really add up when you're unknowingly consuming them all day long, all week long, and all month long.

Indeed, excess sugars you're unwittingly taking into your wonderful body can lead to a whole host of problems. (I reveal the shocking scooop about sugar in my new book SUGAR SHOCK! from Berkley Books.)

You'll see me talk about buying:

• Yogurt
• Cereals
• Crackers
• Marinara sauce
• Salad dressings
• Peanut Butter
• Energy or snack bars
• And a surprise or two

After my TV appearance on CN8, I invite you to join in the discussion here. And, if you'd like some shopping help, you'll be able to get my Sugar-Free Shopper's Guide, too.

Bear in mind that we only have a few minutes for my interview, but you can get all kinds of helpful info on deciphering those food labels and in dispelling food-label misconceptions in my new book SUGAR SHOCK!, which is available at bookstores and online retailers nationwide.

Mark your calendars! Wed., Jan. 17, 2007 will be a very exciting day. Dr. Stephen Sinatra, the medical consultant for my book, and I will be answering your questions during a very exciting Virtual Book Tour. Wondering what the heck that is? Essentially, it's a 70-minute teleseminar where we will talk about whatever concerns you raise -- as it pertains to sugars and refined carbs. More details coming soon....

Mark your calendars for next Thursday, Dec. 14, 8 p.m. EST. Read on... You see, time and time again, around this time of the year, people approach me or write to my free, online KickSugar group with a tremendous sense of urgency. They plead for information about how to survive the holiday season without sugar sneaking back into their lives, without gaining weight, and without becoming a super-stressed person, especially around all those tempting treats. Before Christmas and Chanukah, folks inevitably get worried about those holiday celebrations. They ask me something like this: Connie, how do I deal with those...