Below are two recent posts from CSPI’s Margo Wootan:

1.      How tobacco lawsuits affect what we can do on obesity policy:
http://civileats.com/2012/06/01/why-tobacco-lawsuits-loom-large-for-obesity-prevention/

2.      New study from Yale’s Rudd Center about food marketing: http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/reports/RuddReport_TVFoodAdvertising_5.12.pdf

Like other studies, it shows some progress in reducing junk food advertising to kids under 12. But, the progress is modest:
* Though industry has been boasting about the decline in advertising to young children, the study finds that the decrease is from an average of 14 ads a day to 13 ads a day for kids under 12 from 2004 to 2011.
* Since the CFBAI industry self-regulatory program was implemented, ads aimed at kids for carbonated soft drinks, sweet snacks, salty snacks and cereal have decrease. Ads for candy, fast food and other restaurants have increased.
* Ads for fruits, vegetables and water have increased -- but together they are less than 1% of advertising to kids.

They also report on advertising to teens and adults.