October 22, 2026
118 – Selling Sugary Junk Food to Kids
Host: Herb Weisbaum
Guest(s):
- Michael Jacobsen - Founder, National Food Museum
- Jeffrey Chester - Executive Director, Center for Digital Democracy
Childhood obesity in the U.S. is at its highest rate ever, according to the CDC: 21% of American youngsters, between the ages of 2 and 19, are obese. Food and beverage companies aggressively market sugary cereal, snacks, beverages, and candy directly to children, which heavily influences what they eat today and as they grow older.
In this episode: We’ll examine the marketing tricks food companies use to sell their sugary products to children—and why federal regulators aren’t doing anything about it.
More Info:
Center for Digital Democracy
Not a Checkbook member? Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings.