Food Marketing & Childhood Obesity

Kids Are Big Business

• Food companies that manufacture products aimed at kids stand to make a large profit if their merchandise sells. Jennifer Harris and Samantha Graff report, in their article on the Preventing Chronic Disease page of the CDC website, that the food industry spends over a billion dollars each year on marketing their goods to children and teens. The average child, ages 6 to 11, views 13 food advertisements a day. Harris and Graff point out that many of these foods are high in fat, sugar and sodium, and should only be consumed occasionally.

Top Products Marketed Toward Kids

• Food companies try to make their products appealing to children and youth with exciting commercials, flashy packaging, ideal product placement and popular character endorsements. Harris and Graff report breakfast cereal as the food product most frequently marketed toward children and teens. These cereals, the ones that specifically target kids, contain significantly more sugar and sodium and less fiber than products developed for adults. Advertisements for fast-food restaurants and beverage companies also rank among the top commercials directed at children. In contrast, only 4 percent of food marketed toward children and teens promotes healthy foods, like fruit, vegetables and dairy products.

Adverse Effects of Food Marketing

• Research suggests that obese children tend to watch more television than non-obese children. According to the American Psychological Association, kids between ages 8 and 12, the group likely to receive the most exposure to this type of marketing, are at a critical point in development, and formulating how they will make independent food choices. How food marketing contributes to the development of eating disorders and low self-esteem in girls and exacerbates psychological damage and weight-related concerns that result from obesity are other issues being researched.

Regulating Food Marketing

• Many parents, educators, government officials and health care providers are concerned with the role marketing plays in childhood obesity. Dr. Marion Nestle, writing for the New England Journal of Medicine, reports that as many as 50 countries regulate advertising techniques aimed at children and teens. While other countries ban advertisements geared toward younger children or prohibit the use of cartoon characters on food directed at kids, the U.S. merely limits the broadcasting time per hour. Dr. Nestle suggests that U.S. policymakers should consider restricting the use of cartoon characters, celebrity endorsements and other stealthy marketing practices.

Tips for Parents

• Parents who are serious about preventing obesity in their children can take action to avoid the onslaught of marketing directed at their children. The American Psychological Association suggests regulating television viewing, scheduling regular mealtimes and encouraging daily exercise. While it may be hard to say no to children who ask for unhealthy products at the grocery store, parents can make a difference by choosing healthy food for their kids. Teaching children good habits from a young age, helping them learn to make good food choices and setting a good example can diminish the impact of food marketing.