Junk food ads, sugary rewards lead to fatter kids
Jennifer Motl
The Free Lance-Star
April 6, 2008
THERE IS a worldwide
movement to shield children from ads for junk food.
Although junk food is not the only cause of obesity,
advertising for junk foods is linked to weight gain.
Today, twice as many American kids are overweight as in
the 1980s, and many kids already have high cholesterol,
high blood pressure and diabetes.
This month, two groups--the International Obesity
Taskforce and Consumers International--proposed limiting
ads for junk foods that target children.
They suggest:
A ban on TV and radio ads for junk food between 6 a.m.
and 9 p.m.;
No marketing of junk food on Web sites, social
networking sites and cell phone text-messaging;
No promotion of unhealthy food in schools;
No inclusion of free gifts, toys or other collectibles
that are attractive to children;
No use of celebrities, cartoon characters or
competitions.
Advertising today is more subtle than the jingles I
fondly remember from my childhood, such as the Oscar
Mayer wiener song. Now, popular movie and TV characters
like Dora the Explorer also appear on food packages.
"It's as if that whole television program is an ad for
the Dora cookies," said Margo Wootan, director of
nutrition for the Center for Science in the Public
Interest, a nonprofit group in Washington. "As a mom, I
know for sure that marketing works, because many a time
[at the grocery store], my daughter reaches over for a
box with one of her favorite characters on it, and she
has no idea of what's in that box."
More subtle advertising affects kids too, such as movie
shots that zoom in on products. Back in 1982, it was
reported that sales of Reese's Pieces candies
skyrocketed after being featured in the movie "E.T., The
Extra Terrestrial."
Children start requesting foods by brand name by the age
of 24 months, according to published studies from
University of Minnesota researchers.
Marketers count on the "nag factor" or "pester
power"--kids begging their parents to buy. Parents give
in about half the time.
Children ages 2 to 7 see an average of 12 food ads a day
on TV, nearly 30 hours per year, according to the
nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. Most ads are for
soft drinks, sugary cereals, candy, snacks and fast
food.
Studies show that children under the age of 8 cannot
tell gimmicks from truth. Food corporations spend about
$10.5 billion a year targeting kids, about 32 times more
than the government spent on nutrition education, say
the Minnesota researchers.
beyond tv
Most marketing happens when parents aren't around to
protect their kids: in schools, on the Internet, and
even via text messages to children's cell phones.
Although many schools have stopped selling sodas, about
20 percent of schools sell fast-food in the cafeterias.
Outside the cafeteria, children are assaulted by ads for
unhealthy foods on athletic scoreboards, sponsorship
banners in gyms, ads in school newspapers and yearbooks,
free textbook covers with ads, and screen-saver ads on
school computers for branded foods and beverages.
About 38 percent of middle and high schools in the U.S.
show Channel One, a current-events program that carries
ads for soft drinks and fatty snacks, according to the
Minnesota researchers. The schools get free video
equipment in return.
Some ads masquerade as education. Pizza chains offer
free pizza parties as reading incentives, and McDonald's
gives away free coupons for fatty foods as a reward for
its McSpellit club.
NEEDED RULES
The United States limits the length of TV advertising to
children, but not whether the ads promote unhealthy
foods. The government also requires parental permission
for children to give out information online.
Some companies are working with the nonprofit Council of
Better Business Bureaus to promote healthier advertising
toward children, but not all companies are involved. Nor
does the group address all the marketing in schools.
In comparison, Quebec, Canada, has banned all
advertising aimed at children under age 13. Sweden and
Belgium ban TV ads aimed at children. Groups in the
United Kingdom and Australia are trying to follow that
lead.
"I think as parents, we need to band together and ask
companies to stop undermining our efforts to feed our
kids healthfully," says Wootan, of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest.
What you can do:
Model healthy eating and physical activity.
Call or write food and entertainment companies and ask
them to stop marketing junk food.
Ask Congress to pass the Child Nutrition Promotion and
School Lunch Protection Act. You can read more at
schoolfoods.org.
Get involved with your school board. Say "no" to school
districts that sell your child's health for revenue from
junk-food sales and ads. You wouldn't want cigarettes or
liquor advertised to a captive audience of kids--junk
food should not be promoted either, especially without
parental consent.