TV Advertising to Kids Switches From Sugar to Grease

Kids are now seeing fewer TV commercials for sweets and sugary beverages than before, says a new report in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. But this good news is tempered by an increase in the number of TV ads for fast food.

The research team looked at television advertising targeted at children from 2003 to 2007. Researchers found that on average, children between the ages of two and 11 are seeing 30 percent fewer ads for fruit drinks and soft drinks. In addition, ads for candies, cookies, and other sweets went down 35 percent. But ads for fast food increased by eight percent, with two-to-five-year-olds seeing more ads for fast food than cereal. Lisa Powell, one of the researchers, commented, "That suggests a lot of branding is going on. They are starting marketing of brand loyalty at an earlier age."

What is perhaps most shocking, however, is the disparity between children of different races. The researchers found that African-American children saw 1.4 to 1.6 times as many food ads each day as their white counterparts, and they saw double the number of fast-food ads. Just think about that for a moment along with the oft-cited statistic that one in three children born after 2000 will suffer from diabetes, and if that group is narrowed down to just minority children, the number rises to one in two. Maybe not a direct correlation, but I wouldn't be willing to bet against a connection.

I've written previously that the American Academy of Pediatrics states that "advertising directed toward children is inherently deceptive and exploits children under eight years of age." The Institute of Medicine has also stated that evidence suggests short-term food choices among children aged two to 11 are influenced by TV ads. The American Psychological Association and numerous other organizations agree, and believe that marketing of food products towards young children should be eliminated.

The researchers attribute some of the decline in sweets advertising to voluntary industry programs, such as the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. While I would never say something like that is a bad idea, I think a recent post on Marion Nestle's blog draws a good analogy between industry self-regulation of tobacco and food. How much of the "self-regulation" is just good publicity, and how much is actually meaningful?

It seems that more and more studies are coming out (or at least gaining some attention) on the connections between advertising, food, and childhood obesity. While this latest report provides a bit of good news, it's really just negated by the increase in fast-food advertising. Win some, lose some? Until marketing targeted at children is eliminated or severely restricted, I'd say it's all a loss for the kids.

Photo credit: tempophage