Children Exposed to Food Through Advertising on Television
Almost any time you turn on a television you see ads promoting food, whether it is food products, fast food restaurants, non-fast food restaurants, public service announcements or other products. These ads contain cereals, snacks, sweets and beverages produced by many manufactures throughout the United States. In today’s society fruit and vegetable consumption and micronutrient intake are low and children in the United States consume too much dietary fat and sugars. “Analyses of advertising on children's programming have found that food is the single largest product category advertised and often makes up most of the television advertising directed to children on many networks.” (Powell, Lisa. (2007). Nutritional Content of Television Food Advertisements Seen by Children and Adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics; 120:576-583.)
Randomized trials and survey data show that exposure to food advertising significantly influences children's food preferences and choices along with food intake and food purchase requests. Conclusions for children ages 2 through 11 were drawn by the Institute of Medicine report on food marketing to children and youth. They are as follows: “there is strong evidence that TV advertising influences children's food and beverage preferences and purchase requests; (2) there is strong evidence that television advertising influences short-term food consumption patterns and moderate evidence that it influences usual dietary intake; and (3) there is strong evidence that exposure to television advertising is associated with adiposity in children.” (Powell, Lisa. (2007). Nutritional Content of Television Food Advertisements Seen by Children and Adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics; 120:576-583.)
Children are also estimated to have substantial influence on parents' purchases and approximately one third of candy, cookies, cereal, juice and fast food household purchases are influenced by children. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and the Sci-Fi Channel accounted for a majority percentage of cable networks providing these advertisements. WB, ABC, FOX, NBC and CBS were the national broadcast networks that accounted for another percentage of the food advertisements. Satellite television stations also advertise food to children.
“Studies from the early 1970s until 2000 consistently found that food advertising made up roughly one half or more (48%-87%) of all products advertising to children—an amount higher than the 36% found in the present study. The studies with samples drawn exclusively from Saturday morning programming tended to find higher rates of food advertising among the product ads (57%-87%). Advertising data by network showed that food advertising on children's programming in 1990 made up 77% of product advertising on broadcast networks versus only 40% on cable networks. Just over a decade later, our study has found the opposite pattern: food ads made up 37% of product ads on cable TV, but only 29% on broadcast networks. In the 1970s, children's programming was available primarily on broadcast TV. With the emergence of cable TV and channels such as Nickelodeon offering full-day children's programming, we have witnessed a shift in the share of child viewership toward cable TV. By the mid-1990s, cable TV accounted for approximately 80% of children's network viewing.” (Powell, Lisa. (2007). Nutritional Content of Television Food Advertisements Seen by Children and Adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics; 120:576-583.)
Recent studies show that children's exposure to food ads may be increasing. These short-term trends raise concerns when combined with increased effectiveness of food product ads on cable television. This will cause major problems in obesity among young children and adolescents. Further research is need, but we can conclude that food advertising amongst children is growing in our society through television networks and will have a lasting effect on these children.
References:
Powell, Lisa. (2007). Nutritional Content of Television Food Advertisements Seen by Children and Adolescents in the United States. Pediatrics; 120:576-583.
Ogden CL, Carroll MD. (2006) Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. JAMA.; 295:1549-1555.
8 comments:
This is a very intersting topic relating to television communication and advertising. I always hear about the growing rate of obesity among children in the United States but I have never thought about how it directly relates to all the food advertising on television. I think it is an important topic to think about how there are all these unhealthy foods geared towards children, but rarely do you see any ads for fun and healthy food for kids. It is also interesting to think about how the ads effect children, who then turn around and effect their parents who are the ones who have to go out and buy those products. But advertising to the likes of young people, advertisers are indirectly effecting adults and their desire to make their children happy.
bantum.3@osu.edu
I feel that this is a very important topic. The correlation between television food advertising and obesity is becoming stronger every year. It is unfortunate that children are drawn to unhealthy food and sugary drinks. Instead, advertisers should concentrate on promoting healthier choices to choose from that still satisfy taste. Also, parents should pick out foods that are better for their children instead of purchasing foods that seem appealing to appease them. I feel sad that obesity is one of the outcomes to unhealthy eating, but worse that advertising also plays a key role in this effect.
The topic of food advertising is very interesting, and one that I have not given much thought to. However, it does make sense that I will see an ad on television for some sort of food, like Arbys, and be thinking about that food all day. So much so, that if I eat something that is not Arbys I will not be satisfied with my meal. I have also experienced while babysitting watching ads for McDonalds, and immediately after the children wanting me to take them to McDonalds. I believe that somehow food advertising should be restricted, like cigarettes were because obesity is such a big problem in the United States.
schall.14@osu.edu
I heard of that issue too. the discussion I followed was discussing food ad's in public places.
People start to realize that we are becoming a "lazy" society. we are not playing as much outside anymore as we used to when we are kids, and this also applies to our chidren later.
It will be necessary to ensure that we will maintain a somewhat healthy lifestyle, which also includes breaks and healthy food as well as excercise. hence it seems important that marketers do not promote food in the way they do.
goldstein.107
It does seem that they promote really bad foods to kids and these companies are doing this so that the kids will bug the parents to buy them. Ultimately it is up to the parent to not buy the things that could make your kid obese. It is there responsibility to what there kids are eating most of the time because they have the money and they are feeding them. When they become adolescents it is a little different story but mostly the same. I do see some more commercials lately where they are trying to promote good healthy nutritious food for kids where they really don't know they are eating vegetables or that it is nutritious. So at least some companies are trying but they need to get better in the food industry as a whole.
-craft.83
This is an extremely relevant topic to the weight problem plaguing our country. Food ads are extremely effective, no matter what age. Just last year, my friends and I were hanging out and we saw a Steak and Shake commercial on TV and we all decided as a group that we must have it. So we all piled in our cars and headed over there, only to be reminded by the dark windows that it was indeed Thanksgiving night, and it wasn't even open. If one commercial can have that effect on 8 or so college students, then just imagine the effect it can have on kids. Not liable to act with restraint, kids see something and they want it. Advertisers know this and target kids so they can bug their parents enough to buy their product. There should be more ads for fruit and other healthy foods.
caracciolo.4
It makes sense to hear that certain advertising of foods can affect what a child wants. Advertising in general has a major effect on children. During children’s television shows, children see commercials for toys and run to their parents begging for those toys. The same advertising masterminds make commercials for candy and sweet cereal leaving the child to beg for that as well. Ultimately, it is up to the parent to control what their kid eats. They can allow them to have some of the sweeter foods, but mix them in with healthy foods.
skinner.121
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