Doctor David Ludwig, a pediatrician, and Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, spoke with U.S. News and World Report this week about the food industry and how junk food companies are misleading the public in their efforts to market “healthy” eating for children.

First, some background. The CDC released statistics earlier this year that report that around 32 percent of children in the US are overweight but not obese, 16 percent are obese, and 11 percent are extremely obese. Accordingly, big companies like PepsiCo are under pressure to promote healthier products. Their “Smart Spot” marketing campaign highlights somewhat dubious products – Cheetos, Diet Pepsi, reduced-fat Doritos, and Cap’n Crunch cereal, for example – along with more nutritious offerings like Tropicana orange juice and Quaker Oats.

Though this initiative seems like a step in the right direction, Ludwig points out that “ultimately makers of popular junk foods have an obligation to stockholders to encourage kids to eat more—not less—of the foods that fuel their profits.”

Despite any new healthy marketing to children, food giants like PepsiCo spend billions of dollars advertising to the adolescent demographic via television and now the internet. (Nestle’s own estimation puts that figure to an approximate $10 billion annually, as reported in the 2006 Journal of Public Health Policy.)

Furthermore, research and development entities hired by companies such as Coca-Cola also lobby directly to professional nutrition organizations. The American Dietetic Association accepts money from companies which then “get access to decision makers in the food and nutrition marketplace via ADA events and programs.” Nestle notes on her blog that the group even distributes nutritional fact sheets that are directly sponsored by specific industry groups.

Ludwig and Nestle also point out that alternatives offered to unhealthy foods like sugary sodas are often just as packed with sugar, preservatives and calories – sports drinks and vitamin waters, for example. Add this to the fact that food packages often tout healthy factors – “No Trans Fats” or “Whole Wheat” –  that distract consumers from other less healthy ingredients that are themselves hidden on confusing nutritional labels, and we seen the true complexities of nutritional marketing come to light. Education and standardization will be essential to counteracting these issues.

For more nutrition facts and inside industry details, read Food Politics by Marion Nestle.