There’s a trick or two for beating marketing messages cast over our children and we have it here….

Companies spend $1.7 billion trying to sell our kids sugar and fat.

It’s no secret that breakfast cereal-makers, soda companies and fast food restaurants spend billions — $1.79 billion a year, to be exact — on convincing our kids their products are cool. There’s even a term called “Pester Power,” according to a government report, which involves the placing of a delicious-looking snack into a video game or a celebrity’s hand so our kids will nag and nag and nag us for that burger meal & toy until we eventually – dammit – buy it.

These companies – at last count – have linked their sugar-and-fat-filled foods with over 120 popular movies, slapping characters on packages, starring them in television commercials and even holding online sweepstakes in order to sell kids’ meals, frozen desserts and candy, says the Federal Trade Commission in a recently released report.

Boy does this work. Nearly 75 percent of us bought a product for the first time, just because our kids asked, says the FTC

“They’re generating desire,” says Donna Sturgess, president of Buyology Inc. in New York. “These companies are selling a lifestyle. And the problem is that when they’re selling is affordable to most kids – fast food and candy are within reach for most of them.”

That’s not the only problem.

Cereals with kid-loving celebs had less than half the whole grains of cereal sold on its own, says the report, and all of them contained refined and processed ingredients. Drinks marketed to youth averaged more than 20 grams of added sugar, while none of these thirst-quenchers had any naturally occurring sugar, such as from, you know, fruit. Despite a small drop of

None of the snack foods marketed to kids were considered low calorie or low in saturated fat. Nor did they have fiber or protein.

sugar in youth yogurts, most products — we’re talking more than three quarters targeted to kids under age 11 and more than half to teens — had at least 24 grams sugar, over 5o percent of it coming from added flavorings. As for snacks – chips and such – marketed to children? None – zippo – met the FDA labeling claim standard for “low” calorie and less than half met the standard for low saturated fat. They didn’t rate well either for fiber or protein.

Let’s not allow our kids’ health to be hijacked. We can’t like video marketing be cool – please don’t even try – but we can reprogram our kids by explaining that there’s a better way to achieve complete and utter coolness, says Sturgess.

“You’re going to have to play to their vanity,” says Sturgess. “Marketing food appeals to a lifestyle these kids want, so you have to create a more appealing campaign.”

Yes! Vanity, celebrities, excitement – your advertising messages will have them all. Because explain to your kids that instead of fat-filled, sugar-laden snacks that slow them down, they would rather have:

1) Movie-Star skin. Swapping water for soda gives you clear, acne-free skin, says Bonnie Presti, a nutrion educator in Wellington Florida. Water cleanses your system and the results shine through on your face. Don’t believe me? Brigit Mendler even gives it as a beauty tip to Teen.com.

2) Great Popularity. Carrots put a sparkle in your eyes, blueberries boost brain power. In fact, all healthy snacks can help teens and kids achieve their goals. Playing guitar, scoring goals, singing in choir, dancing hip-hop, and reporting on the yearbook committee are all pretty desirable and can boost your popularity. But downing fries too frequently or quenching your thirst with soda contradict those goals because fat makes you feel sluggish and sugar soon puts you in a brain fog. That gives the other team a chance to zip past you on the field or outplay you on stage.

Want white teeth and gorgeous nails? You gotta choose milk over soda.

3) Stylish Nails. Have you seen the pop in polishes being sold these days? Some crackle, other sparkle, all look great on strong nails, helped heavily by the calcium in non-fat milk.

4) Street Smarts. Ke$hia may eat boys for breakfast but most celebrities don’t consume what their commercials claim. The truth in ads, people, is that they’re getting paid to hold that artificially flavored yogurt and smile. Let’s not be suckers, kids. When stars go home they scarf down lean meats and leafy vegetables.

5)  Ripped abs and strong legs. Put down the chips and orange cheeze snacks – it’s lean protein that builds muscle. Swap them for non-fat cheese sticks or turkey breast on whole wheat bread and you can have abs and bicepts like FILL IN BLANK OF WHO THEY THINK IS COOL.