{"id":10470,"date":"2024-08-21T21:24:27","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T14:24:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10470"},"modified":"2024-08-21T21:24:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T14:24:27","slug":"childrens-cereals-candy-for-breakfast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10470","title":{"rendered":"Children\u2019s Cereals: Candy for Breakfast?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Plastering front-of-package nutrient claims on cereal boxes is an attempt to distract us from the incongruity of feeding our children multicolored marshmallows for breakfast.<\/p>\n<p>The American Medical Association started warning people about excess sugar consumption more than 75 years ago, based in part on our understanding that \u201csugar <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/article-abstract\/258365\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">supplies<\/a> nothing in nutrition but calories, and the vitamins provided by other foods are sapped by sugar to liberate these calories.\u201d So, added sugars <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/27547437\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aren\u2019t<\/a> just empty calories, but negative nutrition. \u201cThus, the more added sugars one consumes, the more nutritionally depleted one may become.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given the \u201ctotality of publicly available scientific evidence,\u201d the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26827391\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">decided<\/a> to make processed food manufacturers declare \u201cadded sugars\u201d on their nutrition labels. The National Yogurt Association was livid and said it \u201ccontinues to <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.app.box.com\/s\/vvdl06t0wxnu39lnoewj4ahkqn2y6wdp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">oppose<\/a> the \u2018added sugars\u2019 declaration,\u201d since it needed \u201c\u2018added sugars\u2019 to increase palatability\u201d of its products. The junk food association <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.app.box.com\/s\/kuteguhdtnjsbcmasgqj9i6r24wpglie\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">questioned<\/a> the science, whereas the ice cream folks seemed to <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.app.box.com\/s\/djytvphw1j3hmmstna1kz0emmmaj1020\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">imply<\/a> that consumers are too stupid to \u201cunderstand or know how to use the added sugar declaration,\u201d so it\u2019s better just to leave it off. The world\u2019s biggest cereal company, Kellogg\u2019s, <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.app.box.com\/s\/a33zccq6re49lsj9t5aunhymcuw49aw6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">took<\/a> a similar tact, opposing it so as not \u201cto confuse consumers.\u201d Should the FDA proceed with such labeling against Kellogg\u2019s objections, the cereal giant pressed that \u201can added sugars declaration\u2026should be communicated as a footnote.\u201d It claimed that its \u201cgoal is to provide consumers with useful information so they can make informed choices.\u201d This is from a company that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wkkellogg.com\/en-us\/our-foods\/our-brands\/froot-loops.html#num=12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">describes<\/a> its Froot Loops as \u201cpacked with delicious fruity taste, fruity aroma, and bright colors.\u201d Keep in mind that Froot Loops <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.wphna.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/13-09_Credit_Suisse_Sugar_crossroads.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has<\/a> more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut, as you can see in the graph below and at 1:46 in my video <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-kids-breakfast-cereals-as-nutritional-facade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Friday Favorites: Kids\u2019 Breakfast Cereals as Nutritional Fa\u00e7ade<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-107922\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-46-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Froot Loops is more than 40 percent sugar by weight! You can see the cereal box\u2019s Nutrition Facts label below and at 1:50 in my <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-kids-breakfast-cereals-as-nutritional-facade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>video<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-107924\" style=\"font-size: 1rem;\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/1-50-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The tobacco industry <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/media\/78927\/download\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">used<\/a> similar terms, such as \u201clight,\u201d \u201clow,\u201d and \u201cmild\u201d to make its products appear healthier\u2014before it was barred from doing so. \u201cNow sugar interests are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ucsusa.org\/resources\/sugar-coating-science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fighting<\/a> similar battles over whether their terminology, including \u2018healthy,\u2019 \u2018natural,\u2019 \u2018naturally sweetened,\u2019 and even \u2018lightly sweetened,\u2019 is deceptive to consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But if you look at the side of a cereal box, as shown below and at 2:13 in my <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-kids-breakfast-cereals-as-nutritional-facade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video<\/a><\/strong>, you can see all those vitamins and minerals that have been added. That was one of the ways the cereal companies <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.app.box.com\/s\/1gci69vl304fw68f5s605c8v9u704upp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">responded<\/a> to calls for banning sugary cereals. General Mills defended the likes of Franken Berry, Trix, and Lucky Charms for being fortified with essential vitamins.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-107926\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-13-540x304.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sir Grapefellow, I learned, was a \u201cgrape-flavored oat cereal\u201d complete with \u201csweet grape star bits\u201d\u2014that is, marshmallows. Don\u2019t worry. It was \u201cvitamin charged!\u201d You can see that cereal box below and at 2:31 in my <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-kids-breakfast-cereals-as-nutritional-facade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>video<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-107928\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-960x540.jpg 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/2-31-540x304.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sugary breakfast cereals, <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.app.box.com\/s\/1gci69vl304fw68f5s605c8v9u704upp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> Dr. Jean Mayer from Harvard, \u201care not a complete food even if fortified with eight or 10 vitamins.\u201d Senator McGovern replied, \u201cI think your point is well taken that these products may be mislabeled or more correctly called candy vitamins than cereals.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Plastering nutrient claims on cereal boxes can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/03066150.2015.1101455\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">create<\/a> \u201ca \u2018nutritional fa\u00e7ade\u2019 around a product, acting to distract attention away\u201d from unsavory qualities, such as excess sugar content. Researchers found that the \u201cmajority of parents <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21806872\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">misinterpreted<\/a> the meaning of claims commonly used on children\u2019s cereals,\u201d raising significant public health concerns. Ironically, cereal boxes <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/18375229\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bearing<\/a> low-calorie claims were found to have more calories on average than those without such a claim. The cereal doth protest too much.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even candy bar companies are getting in on the action, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/24494445\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">bragging<\/a> about protein content because of some peanuts. Like the Baby Ruth, a candy bar that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Baby-Ruth-Chocolate-Ounce-Bars\/dp\/B000NVU7ZY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has<\/a> 50 grams of sugar. Froot Loops could be considered breakfast candy, as the same serving would have 40 sugar grams, as you can see below and at 3:45 in my <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-kids-breakfast-cereals-as-nutritional-facade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-107930\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/3-45-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">Given that \u201cresearch suggests that consumers <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/20179287\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">believe<\/a> front-of-package claims, perceive them to be government-endorsed, and use them to ignore the Nutrition Facts Panel,\u201d there\u2019s been a call from nutrition professionals to consider \u201can outright ban on all front-of-package claims.\u201d The industry\u2019s short-lived \u201cSmart Choices\u201d label, as you can see below and at 4:13 in my <\/span><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 1rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/video\/friday-favorites-kids-breakfast-cereals-as-nutritional-facade\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>video<\/strong><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">, was <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21729490\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">met<\/a> with disbelief when it was found adorning qualifying cereals like Froot Loops and Cookie Crisp. The processed food industry <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/21696305\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">spent<\/a> more than a billion dollars lobbying against the adoption of more informative labeling (a traffic-light approach), \u201copposing most aggressively the use of a red light suggesting that any food was too high in anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-107933\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13.png 1920w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-1200x675.png 1200w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-720x405.png 720w, https:\/\/nutritionfacts.org\/app\/uploads\/2024\/06\/4-13-540x304.png 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">I was invited to testify as an expert witness in a case against sugary cereal companies. (I donated my fee, of course.) Check out the related posts below for a video series and blogs that are a result of some of the research I did.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>You may also be interested in videos and blogs on the food industry; see related posts below.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"et_social_bottom_trigger\"\/>  <\/div>\n<p><script>\n            !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n            {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n                n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n            if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n            n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n            t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n            s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n                'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n            fbq('init', '1582627921973608');\n            fbq('track', 'PageView');\n        <\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plastering front-of-package nutrient claims on cereal boxes is an attempt to distract us from the incongruity of feeding our children multicolored marshmallows for breakfast. The American Medical Association started warning people about excess sugar consumption more than 75 years ago, based in part on our understanding that \u201csugar supplies nothing in nutrition but calories, and &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}