"Spending on [British] Government spin has trebled under Labour," reports Graeme Wilson, "and taxpayers are now supporting an army of more than 3,200 press officers." Moreover, "the amount being spent on Government advertising, marketing and public relations has risen three-fold since" Tony Blair became prime minister, to £322 million last year.

While federal law provides only minimum guidelines for healthy school meals (and snack foods and branded beverages proliferate in school vending machines), state-based activism has the potential to push standards higher. That's the cautionary message delivered by food marketing critic Michele Simon at last week's 29th Annual National Food Policy Conference.