Critics of plan to fight childhood obesity say it would destroy jobs

{mosads}Four federal agencies in April unveiled voluntary guidance for food marketing to children between the ages of 2 and 17. While the administration says the guidance, still under review, would be purely voluntary, critics worry about its potential chilling effect.

Last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce assailed the proposal on multiple fronts, calling it an affront to the First Amendment that would do little to improve nutrition. But the jobs angle is new.

The economic impact assessment, conducted by IHS Global Insight, estimated that the proposed restrictions would lead to a 20 percent reduction in advertising expenditures. In the first year, the report said, such a reduction would lead to $28.3 billion lost in manufacturing and retail sales, translating to at least 74,000 lost jobs.