I am certainly skeptical about the move, it could backfire so easily.

Reply

Aaaannnd all you have to do to get around this is to reduce the service size....

Reply

I'm sorry, but you cannot tell me that Trix and Dora cereal are actually healthy for children. Why can't they put a cute little cartoon character on the box of shredded wheat and tell kids that cereal is good for you? I am glad that they are going to stop advertising. I am tired of yelling at the TV at the commercials anyway. Don't get me wrong, cereal is ok when the kids are running late for school or on Saturday mornings during cartoons, but don't lie to me and tell me that eating Trix in the morning is actually healthy. If it was, kids wouldn't eat it. Maybe they could remove all of the refined sugar and sweeten the cereal with actual fruit juice....maybe then it COULD be considered somewhat healthy. Possibly.

Here's an idea.....when Winter's finished with his coffee tour, he can eat Trix every day for breakfast and let us know how "healthy" he is after a while. Or Morgan. Whoever.

Reply

An apple or other fruit with whole wheat toast is just as fast and easy as those expensive sugary cereals. Why not just stop buying all of that stuff anyway? Americans are getting fatter and fatter because we don't eat whole, natural foods anymore. When is the last time you saw a box growing from a tree?

Reply

I think that it is great that tey are taking the initiative to help curb childrens food in a possitive way. The idea behind cereal is not that a your brekfeast alone but that with fruit and a glass of milk or oj. My 8 year old daughter is not encouraged to watch tv at all. We allow her to watch movies a few days a week acctual tv watching is only every couple of weeks. She being only 8 is capable of going more than a week with out watching tv. We as parents can control what our kids eat and watch on tv it's our job.

Reply

I'm a vegan, I dont eat anything containing animal products. I DO eat healthy foods and a balanced diet, and consider myself a healthy person. I am also disgusted by the way kids eat and the tactics that large companies use to make their products appeal to kids. However, you need to look at the positive side of this. If people keep bashing attempts like the one General Mills is taking, then they'll get nothing. No one is going to try taking a healthier perspective of marketing, and nothing will have changed. Sure Trix shouldn't be eaten for breakfast every day, but you cant fix all the health issues in this society in one step (though I too wish we could). If this small step works out then they will see that healthy is the way to go, its what consumers want. Who knows? maybe it will progress and they will take the next step- not promoting sugary cereals like Trix, and coming up with healthy alternatives. All I know is that if people truly cared about the health of our children, they would atleast try to support the efforts companys are making towards their health, whether big or small, instead of flooding the proposals with negativity before any change is made. Remember, marketing relys on the consumer. If the consumer doesnt support the idea, then the company wont go through with it. If a small effort towards change isnt accepted, they wont even THINK to go as far as to make products such as Trix healthier...

Reply

This is ridiculous! All these people talking about how bad cereal is. Cereal has been around for decades and we all grew up on most of them. I eat cereal and so do my 2 kids. And guess what we are not overweight! Everything is okay in moderation. If they are still hungray after one bowl offer some fruit or toast, not the rest of the box of cereal. I think it is great that the cereal companies are trying to cut back on "unhealthy" foods, but I am the one that controls what goes into the mouths of my kids!

Reply

Wow, lots of cynical, angry people out there. I applaud their new policy of leaving young kids alone. Even if they still manage to advertise less healthy products, at least the message of healthy eating will come accross to kids in a long term way. I support them and will look for their brand when shopping. Of course I will continue to compare ingredients and quality.

Reply

I'm glad General Mills is taking this stand regards with whom they advertise. It's about time!

Reply

I agree with the Vegan person, I'm glad that unhealthy foods no longer flood the market, and companies are realizing that healthy is best. I also prefer whole natural foods, because face it- we are animals and anything not found in nature (i.e. genetically/chemically modified crap) Is not going to help our bodies or brains. It goes beyond obesity, to have healthy fully-function organs and cells you need natural, healthy foods NOT covered in pesticides. also you are more resistant to disease if you eat what your body was designed to digest.
As I am currently pregnant with my first baby, I really watch what I eat so my baby will be as healthy as he can be. with the history of cancer, high blood pressure and Diabeties in both my and my husband's families, I'm not taking the chance of hurting my baby boy. I'm just not going to risk that. same thing goes for me, I decided anything not good for children probably isn't all that great for me anyway. my husband doesn't eat all that healthy but I'm trying to change that as he has high blood pressure. more fruit, less fried chicken nuggets. now i'm the weirdo in the family for not wanting to eat mcdonalds or any fast food. my aunt is 26, weighs 400 lbs and feeds her 2 daughters aged 4 and 7 Mcdonalds every day and says it's because it's quick...something wrong with that, she's a pretty decent cook. I prefer only home-cooked food.

Reply

I wish more companies would either restrict the amount they advertise or quit advertising at all. As someone who is actively losing weight through diet and exercise, it's rough being reminded at every commercial break about all the unhealthy food out there that I've become accustomed to over the years. It's hard to make lifestyle changes and easier to do so if persuasive advertising isn't in front of you at every turn. If your kids don't know about it, they won't ask for it. Good move to relieve pressure on parents to assuage a nagging child that wants the sugar cereal they saw on TV.

Reply

I allow my kids to pick whichever cereal they like at the store. However, I never give them these cereals for breakfast. They are only used for dessert. I wouldn't consider letting them start the day with all of that sugar! But a serving of whole grains and vitamins (even if it is filled with sugar)after dinner isn't so bad.

Reply

Amy - I totally agree with you. My husband is overweight and has been most of his life. His worst snacking time is at night. There are so many junk food commercials between the hours of 7:00 and 10:00 pm. Every time one comes on - I feel like smashing the TV. I applaud General Mills for their decision - now we just have to work on all of the fast food companies to follow suit......

Reply

My daughter eats cereal every day for breakfast. On the weekends we cook a big meal that includes pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon (both turkey and regular), ham, eggs (any way she wants them cooked), and toast. every week we change cereals. one week she gets to have something that she likes, one week it is cheerios or wheaties. every snack is healthy, every lunch is healthy with a bit of unhealthy (maybe a diet coke one day, or a small candy bar the next.) and she is allowed to have chocolate milk on fridays. she is five years old. she has not an ounce of unneeded fat on her. she is active, i make her go outside and play. we dont eat mcdonalds. i cook meals at home. sometimes we have french fries, but most of the time its veggies veggies veggies. these are the things that make for a healthy life, healthy eating choices. she is a child and i am the one who makes her decisions for her...so i make the right ones. it takes more time, but it's what needs to be done. americans need to stop being lazy, that is the real problem. not cokes at school. not candy bars at school. not trix cereal. not cocoa puffs. not any of these things. PEOPLE are the problem. PEOPLE make choices, not the big companies. stop blaming them and point the finger where it belongs, in our own faces.

Reply

I watch what my kids watch and do not let my kids watch commercial TV because of this exact problem : Madison Ave. brainwashs children. My young children watch video or PBS-that's it. And no one watches cartoons, because of the ads. I buy ONLY quality cereal and no problems. Kids ages 25yrs-18months!!

Reply

Cheerioes, Chex, Kix. All from General Mills. All
cereals my kids love. Not the goofy sugar coated ones either, they don't even know
those ones exist. Even if my kids did know the frosted varieties existed, they are not
the ones doing the grocecy shopping. It's all about what the parents buy, which should not be only about what the kids "want".
Having said all that, I'm all for less advertising to young kids, why make the parents job harder than it has to be?

Reply

i'm sure if you get down to the facts of it, General Mills is making out on this ploy. granted i do think its great that they are deciding not to advertise what they consider "unhealthy food" to children but i still think there are other reasons that will benefit them in the long run for doing this. Still, it shouldn't matter what foods are advertised on TV. It is up to the PARENTS to decide what their children eat. just because your child wants you to buy a pack of candy bars and some nasty unhealthy pre packed lunch doesn't mean you have to buy it!! The child obesity and over weight problem lays solely on the shoulders of the parents!!! i understand that there are some children who have health issues that cause them to be over weight, but the majority don't. Seems many parents anymore just give kids whats convenient for themselves, not whats healthy for the child- which is really sad for the children because ultimately they are the ones hurt by it. I have a sister who is one of those people, my poor neice gets picked on at school all the time because she is over weight but god for bid my sister do anything to help the situation. instead they just put a microwave on a small table so she can reach it to make as many tv dinners as she wants and they don't have to get up to make her anything. Sadly, there are a lot of parents like this who are just lazy and would rather give their kids some packaged foods rather than make a good healthy meal for them. I feel so bad for the children out there who have practically no hope at living a healthy life because their parents have taught them such bad eatting habbits. either these parents don't know (which i find hard to believe) or else they just don't care that their child will be unhealthy and prone to many more diseases, get picked on and made fun of terrible at school and have terrible self esteem from it. LETTING your child get extremely over weight or obese should be considered child abuse if you ask me.

Reply

Fresh food, natural foods, excellent choice for those who can afford to eat that way. Ever notice the cost of that food? Is it any wonder fast food chains, and processed foods are being used to feed children today. Try feeding a family of 4 on a modest income. Unless you live on PB&J 4 days a week it's almost impossible with the cost of food today. A bag of chips will go a lot farther as a snack than cut up apples for two or more kids. Chips on sale 2 for 1 about a buck. Apples in season a buck a pound (thats about two maybe three)ok so on Monday you can give them fresh fruit but what about the rest of the week? Only one example of how difficult it is to eat health today on a small budget. Kids do eat and the older they get the more they eat! While feeding mine has never been a problem, I often wonder about this when I see parents shopping at the grocery who shop very little along the outside edges of the store, which is the only place to shop if you want to eat healthy. Make a mental note next time and see who shops in the middle of the store most often and whats in their cart.

Reply