TODAY WAS A RED LETTER DAY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CHILDHOOD OBESITY! In an historic move, the Kellogg Company announced drastic changes in their marketing of foods advertised to children.

Kellogg is not only the No. 1 cereal-maker but also a leading producer of snack foods such as Keebler, Pop-Tarts, Eggo, Cheez-It, Rice Krispies and Famous Amos. Currently one-third of American children are obese or at risk for becoming obese. Foods marketed by Kellogg in media - including TV, radio, print, and third-party Web sites and that have an audience of 50 percent or more children under age 12 will have to meet Kellogg's new nutrition standards, which require that one serving of the food has:

- NO MORE THAN 230 mg OF SODIUM (2 SalTrax Points)

- No more than 200 calories
- No more than zero grams of trans fat and no more than 2 grams of saturated fat
- No more than 12 grams of sugar (excluding sugar from fruit, dairy, and vegetables).

Kellogg will continue its practice of not advertising to children under 6. In addition, Kellogg will not:

- Advertise to children any foods in schools and preschools that include kids under age 12
- Sponsor product placements for any products in any medium primarily directed at kids under 12
- Use licensed characters on mass-media advertising directed primarily to kids under 12, as a basis for a food form or on the front labels of food packages unless those foods meet the nutrition standards
- Use branded toys in connection with foods that do not meet the nutrition standards.

Kellogg's Nutrient Criteria will set a new standard for responsibility in the industry. Products that do not meet the criteria will either be reformulated to meet the Nutrient Criteria or they will no longer be marketed to children under 12 by the end of 2008. According to Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), "As a practical matter, this commitment means that parents will find it a little easier to steer their children toward healthy food choices-especially if other food manufacturers and broadcasters follow Kellogg's lead."