Simone K Keller1, Peter J Schulz. 1. Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland. simone.keller@lu.unisi.ch
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In the light of increasing childhood obesity, the role of food advertisements relayed on television (TV) is of high interest. There is evidence of food commercials having an impact on children's food preferences, choices, consumption and obesity. We describe the product categories advertised during kids programmes, the type of food promoted and the characteristics of food commercials targeting children. METHODS: A content analysis of the commercials aired during the kids programmes of six Swiss, one German and one Italian stations was conducted. The commercials were collected over a 6-month period in 2006. RESULTS: Overall, 1365 h of kids programme were recorded and 11 613 advertisements were found: 3061 commercials (26.4%) for food, 2696 (23.3%) promoting toys, followed by those of media, cleaning products and cosmetics. Regarding the broadcast food advertisements, 55% were for fast food restaurants or candies. CONCLUSION: The results of the content analysis suggest that food advertising contributes to the obesity problem: every fourth advertisement is for food, half of them for products high in sugar and fat and hardly any for fruit or vegetables. Long-term exposure to this distortion of the pyramid of recommended food should be considered in the discussion of legal restrictions for food advertising targeting children.
BACKGROUND: In the light of increasing childhood obesity, the role of food advertisements relayed on television (TV) is of high interest. There is evidence of food commercials having an impact on children's food preferences, choices, consumption and obesity. We describe the product categories advertised during kids programmes, the type of food promoted and the characteristics of food commercials targeting children. METHODS: A content analysis of the commercials aired during the kids programmes of six Swiss, one German and one Italian stations was conducted. The commercials were collected over a 6-month period in 2006. RESULTS: Overall, 1365 h of kids programme were recorded and 11 613 advertisements were found: 3061 commercials (26.4%) for food, 2696 (23.3%) promoting toys, followed by those of media, cleaning products and cosmetics. Regarding the broadcast food advertisements, 55% were for fast food restaurants or candies. CONCLUSION: The results of the content analysis suggest that food advertising contributes to the obesity problem: every fourth advertisement is for food, half of them for products high in sugar and fat and hardly any for fruit or vegetables. Long-term exposure to this distortion of the pyramid of recommended food should be considered in the discussion of legal restrictions for food advertising targeting children.
Authors: See H Ng; Bridget Kelly; Chee H Se; Karuthan Chinna; Mohd Jamil Sameeha; Shanthi Krishnasamy; M N Ismail; Tilakavati Karupaiah Journal: Glob Health Action Date: 2014-08-19 Impact factor: 2.640
Authors: Sofía Rincón-Gallardo Patiño; Lizbeth Tolentino-Mayo; Eric Alejandro Flores Monterrubio; Jennifer L Harris; Stefanie Vandevijvere; Juan A Rivera; Simón Barquera Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2016-08-05 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Ana Carolina Corrêa Café; Carlos Alexandre de Oliveira Lopes; Rommel Larcher Rachid Novais; Wendell Costa Bila; Daniely Karoline da Silva; Márcia Christina Caetano Romano; Joel Alves Lamounier Journal: Rev Paul Pediatr Date: 2018 Jan-Mar