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Unhealthy and Unregulated Food Advertising and Marketing to Children

Unhealthy and Unregulated Food Advertising and Marketing to Children

FACTS Unhealthy and Unregulated and to Children

OVERVIEW • Young people see more than 50,000 Research shows that the aggressive marketing and advertisements each year on television advertising of high-calorie, unhealthy to alone. 9 children are contributing to today’s childhood • In 2009, food companies spent $122 million 1,2 epidemic. Currently, almost one-third of children in on youth advertising via new media, a 50% 3 the U.S. are obese or overweight. Not only are increase from 2006. 9 Nearly 50% of new these young lives at risk, but overweight and obese media youth advertising for 2009 was for children are more likely to become obese adults, 4 5 , sugary beverages, or condemned to chronic and costly diseases, 9 foods. disability, 6 and premature death. 5 Much of the progress we have made in the fight against The amount of money that the cardiovascular disease and stroke could be lost if 7 currently spends on marketing and advertising to this deadly trend is not reversed. Food advertising influence what children choose to eat is twice the leads children to spend their discretionary dollars on 9 8 amount spent a decade ago. Young children ages high-calorie, low-nutrient dense foods. The 12 and under are especially vulnerable to these American Heart Association finds no justification for marketing and advertising strategies because they manipulative advertising and marketing practices to are developmentally less able to comprehend their children and supports efforts to restrict these intent. 11 practices in the U.S.

CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO TELEVISION REGULATION IN THE U.S. Although many European countries tightly control or AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA ban it, food advertising targeted at children is not Children are constantly exposed to advertising and regulated in the U.S. 12 In 1980, Congress rescinded marketing through television, the internet, the FTC’s authority to regulate advertising magazines, schools, product placements, video categorized as “unfair,” and also limited its games, cell phones, and other means. These jurisdiction regarding . While advertisements are designed to boost brand the food industry has made some strides in self- recognition and sales, more often for unhealthy, regulation through the Children’s Food and high-calorie foods. Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI) and has recently strengthened the guidelines under CFBAI, • A recent summary report from the Federal the vast majority of foods allowed for marketing Trade Commission (FTC) revealed that under these standards remain unhealthy. 9 industry spent nearly two billion dollars in 2009 marketing and advertising foods and CHILDREN AS CON$UMER$ beverages to children. The top three The food industry recognizes that children and sources were fast food ($800 million), - adolescents have significant discretionary incomes sweetened beverages$($395 million), and 9 and are a powerful consumer segment. breakfast cereals ($186 million). These • marketing efforts are working since, on Children and adolescents spend more than average, adolescents get 8% of their $180 billion per year and influence their calories from carbonated beverages. 10 parents’ spending for another $200 billion per year. 13,14 • Nearly 85% of foods advertised as healthy don’t meet basic nutritional standards.. 15

American Heart Association  Advocacy Department  1150 Connecticut Ave. NW  Suite 300  Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 785-7900  Fax: (202) 785-7950  www.heart.org/advocacy

FACT SHEET: Food Advertising and Marketing to Children

• The use of media characters alone on food • Advertising, marketing, and brand packaging influences children’s taste awareness strategies used by industry assessment of a product -- licensed should not be allowed in schools or in characters override decisions around educational materials. nutritional content. 16 • The majority of cereals marketed to children (66%) do not meet national 1 McClure, AC., et al. Receptivity to Television Fast-Food Restaurant Marketing standards and are especially high in and Obesity Among US Youth. American journal of preventive medicine:2013; calories, sugar, and sodium when compared 45.5: 560-568. 9 2 Bruce, AS., et al. Brain responses to food logos in obese and healthy weight to cereals marketed to adults. children. The Journal of pediatrics:2013; 162.4: 759-764. • Research shows that exposure to food 3 Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health. National Survey of advertisements leads to greater caloric Children’s Health. 2013. Available at http://www.childhealthdata.org/learn/NSCH . Accessed on February 14, 2014. intake in children, especially obese 4 Goldhaber-Fiebert, JD., et al. The utility of childhood and adolescent obesity 2 assessment in relation to adult health. Medical Decision Making. 2013: 33 (2): 163- children. 175. • A recent study suggests that a ban of 5 Juonala, M et al. Childhood adiposity, adult adiposity, and cardiovascular risk factors. New England Journal of Medicine: 2011; 365.20: 1876-1885. television alone would 6 Reilly JJ, et al. Long-term impact of overweight and obesity in childhood and reduce the number of overweight children by adolescence on morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood: systematic 18%. 17 review. International journal of obesity: 2011; 35.7: 891-898. 7 Go, Alan S., et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2014 Update A • Food advertising particularly influences and Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation:2014; 129.3 (2014): e28-e292. harms at-risk children. Children in lower- 8 income families who are disproportionally Blades M, et al. Children’s recognition of advertisements on television and on Web pages.Appetite:2013; 62: 190-193. 9 affected by obesity watch more television Federal Trade Commission. A Review of to Children than children from higher socioeconomic and Adolescents: A Follow-up Report. 2012. Available at families, 18 increasing their exposure to http://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/reports/review- advertising and reducing their physical foomarketing-children-and-adolescents-follow- report/121221foodmarketingreport.pdf . Accessed on February 14, 2014. activity. 10 Kit B K., et al.Trends in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among youth and adults in the : 1999–2010. 2013: Am J Clin Nutr 98(1): 180-188. THE ASSOCIATIONRECOMMENDS 11 Blades M, et al. Children’s recognition of advertisements on television and on Web pages. Appetite: 2013;62: 190-193. The American Heart Association supports policy 12 Linn S,et al. Calories for sale: food marketing to children in change that addresses the following efforts to limit the twenty-first century. Annals, AAPSS. 2008; 615:133-155. 13 Powell L.. et al., Trends in nutritional content of TV food advertisements seen by the marketing and advertising of low-nutrient, high- children in the US: Analysis by age, food categories, and companies. Archives of calorie foods and beverages to U.S. children . Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. 2011. • Only healthy foods, such as fruit, 100% fruit 15 juice, vegetables, low- dairy products, and Sims J, et al. Claiming health: Front-of-Package labeling of children’s food. 2011. Prevention Insitute. whole grain foods should be advertised and 16 Lapierre MA. et al. Influence of Licensed Spokescharacters and Health Cues on marketed to children. Implicit in this Children's Ratings of Cereal Taste. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011;165(3):229- 234. recommendation is that foods that are 17 Chou SY. Et alFast-food restaurant advertising on television and its influence on advertised meet criteria that the association . Journal of Law and Economics. 2008. 51:599-617. 18 Kenney MK, et al. Residency and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Weight Status has set for nutrients that affect and Lifestyle Behaviors Among US Youth. The Journal of Rural Health:2014; cardiovascular disease risk, such as 30.1: 89-100. saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, fiber.

These healthy foods and beverages should be the default options in children’s meals AHA/HPFS/2/2014 whenever possible. • of food brands should be discouraged in multiple media technologies including movies, videogames, adver- gaming, social networking sites, cell phones, podcasts, and television programming geared toward children. • Toy companies and the movie industry should not be able to partner with fast food companies to market unhealthy meals to children. • Licensed characters should only be used to market healthy foods to children. • Advertising should include positive messages promoting good nutrition and physical activity.

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