Re: Report calls for ban on junk food ads aimed at kids | Unpublished
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cottamkj's picture
Ottawa, Ontario
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I am retired federal public servant with a PhD in history who has been interested in the pesticide issue since 2002. I tend to write a lot of letters to the editor. I taught history at the University of Ottawa part-time.

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Re: Report calls for ban on junk food ads aimed at kids

April 13, 2013

I recently wrote this letter in response to an article by Patricia Leboeuf in Nepean-Barrhaven News entitled Panel aims to reduce childhood obesity.

Parents have repeatedly told us that they want to provide health food options for their kids, but often find that the environment around them undermines those efforts," says Alex Munter, CEO of Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

True, but this doesn't go to the root of the problem: our inability to eliminate the exposure of our children to GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). This can only be done in North America by buying organically produced food, including eggs and meat uncontaminated by antibiotics.

We should aim at feeding our children meat that comes from free-ranging, unconfined animals and birds. Instead we cannot help but feed our children food contaminated by the dubious GMOs, which are seldom independently tested, as this is actively discouraged by the chemical giants such as Monsanto.

Parents need to know which food is genetically modified and thus
potentially problematic, but this is not possible in North America. In contrast, people in Europe are able to reject GMOs and, coincidentally, obesity in children is less common. Of course, a sedentary lifestyle is another major cause of obesity in our children.

There is currently a growing movement among American parents against the secret and irresponsible contamination of our food supply with GMOs. Parents in North America must have access to non-GMO food for their children that is clearly identified as such on the product's label.

--
K. Jean Cottam, PhD
Nepean resident