Saturday morning cartoons on Disney-owned channels will soon be served without the commercials for sugary cereals and fast food meals.

In a bold move, the Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that it is taking the junk food advertising out of all its kid-targeted TV, radio and Internet programming.

The company, parent to ABC, ESPN and, of course, the various Disney channels, said the move makes it the first major media company to ban ads that don’t meet the company’s nutrition standards.

The guidelines won’t go into effect until 2015 because of existing advertising agreements.  

The announcement won immediate approval from first lady Michelle Obama, who called the move a “game changer,” the Associated Press reported.

“Just a few years ago if you had told me or any other mom or dad in America that our kids wouldn’t see a single ad for junk food while they watched their favorite cartoons on a major TV network, we wouldn’t have believed you,” Obama said.   

Disney’s announcement could pressure other media companies to follow suit at a time when concerns over obesity rates are growing.   

Disney says its guidelines are aligned with federal standards to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables and reduce the intake of sodium, sugar and saturated fat.

This is a bold move by Disney and shows the company is trying to help combat obesity in children, a global problem today.

Read more about Disney Magic of Healthy Living, including Disney’s nutrition guidelines, at http://thewaltdisneycompany.com/citizenship/magic-healthy-living