This Kaiser Family Foundation report that reviews more than 40 studies on the role of media in the nation’s dramatically increasing rates of childhood obesity explores what researchers do and do not know about the role media plays in childhood obesity. It also outlines media-related policy options that have been proposed to help address childhood obesity and identifies ways media could play a positive role in helping to address this important public health problem.

 Report

 News Release

The report was released at a February 24, 2004 briefing.

 Webcast of briefing

Agenda (.pdf)

Speaker Biographies (.pdf)

On March 2, 2004, Vicky Rideout, Vice President and Director of the Program for the Study of Entertainment Media and Health, testified to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure hearing on the rise of obesity in children in America.