U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and three other senators want Nickelodeon to ban sugar and junk food ads. The lawmakers sent a letter to network officials this week requesting that the children's cable channel pull ads that promote foods that are laden with sugar and other potentially unhealthy ingredients. 

"As a leading multi-media entertainment destination for children and adolescents, Nickelodeon has a special opportunity - and responsibility - to help address our nation's childhood obesity epidemic," the letter addressed to Nickelodeon reads. "We ask that you implement a clear policy to guide the marketing of food to children on Nickelodeon's various media platforms, including the advertisements on your channels, Internet sites, and mobile platforms."

U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) joined Durbin as signees on the letter to Nickelodeon and Viacom, the network's parent company, as an attempt to address the issue of childhood obesity.

The Walt Disney Co. banned junk food ads last June on its various media platforms, making it the first company major media company to do so, according to the AP.