Critics: Nestle, American Academy of Pediatrics alliance a conflict of interest

Nestle, the global food giant known for Kit Kat, Haagen-Dazs, Hot Pockets, Baby Ruth and other supermarket brands, has teamed up with the American Academy of Pediatrics to educate consumers about childhood obesity.

The union, announced last week in a press release on the academy's website, is supposed to develop a series of nutrition aid messages over the next 18 months. The messages will be tested in focus groups with English and Spanish-speaking parents of children younger than five years.

"Doctors have been telling us we don't have enough plain-language material given to young families," Dr. Judith Palfrey, an AAP spokeswoman and past president of the society, told Consumer Ally. "It is hard for folks to figure out how to do the five servings of fruits and vegetables to their kids."