Just how healthy are the foods marketed to and served in our nation’s schools? A legislative bill has been introduced to study and answer that question.

The Food Marketing in Schools Act was introduced by Representative Carolyn McCarthy in July 2007. It calls for an in-depth study of the nutritional value of foods and drinks marketed in middle and high schools, as well as the vehicles advertisers use to reach young consumers in our nation’s schools.

Recently, the bill received some important support as the Endocrine Society, the world’s largest and most active society devoted to the study of hormones, agreed that aggressive marketing to children can lead to poor food choices.

"This study will provide insight for policy makers, parents and school administrators to determine whether the messages directed at school children lead to unhealthy choices and if policies need to be changed. The Society supports prevention strategies aimed at lowering the prevalence of childhood obesity in our nation and around the world," the Endocrine Society’s president, Dr Robert Vigersky says.

Previous studies have shown that some foods available in schools have minimal nutritional value, and are high in sugar, fat and sodium.

Poor diet has been linked to childhood obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.