Children’s exposure to food and drink ads during kids’ TV shows has been a topic of concern for many years. In recent times, there has been a significant decrease in the number of unhealthy food advertisements shown during children’s programming. However, a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago has found that children under 12 are still exposed to a substantial number of food-related ads, most of which promote unhealthy products.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed television ratings and advertising data from 2013 through 2022. The researchers discovered that despite a drastic reduction in food and beverage commercials during kids’ shows, children are still exposed to over 1,000 food-related ads per year, with the majority of them promoting products high in saturated fat, trans fat, total sugars, and sodium.
Lisa Powell, a distinguished professor and director of health policy and administration at UIC, emphasized the importance of reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertisements. She noted that the World Health Organization recognizes this as a key strategy for improving children’s diets and overall health.
In 2006, a group of food, beverage, and restaurant companies made a commitment to only advertise healthy products on children’s television programming. Subsequent revisions in 2014 and 2020 established nutritional criteria for determining which products are considered unhealthy and should not be advertised to young audiences.
The researchers used television ratings data from The Nielsen Company to track changes in food and beverage advertising following the companies‘ self-regulation efforts. They found that there was a significant decrease in the number of general food and beverage commercials aired during children’s programs, but 60% of the remaining ads were still promoting unhealthy products.
Despite the decline in food and beverage ads during kids‘ shows, children under 12 continued to see a high number of food-related advertisements each year. The researchers noted that as much as 90% of this exposure came from watching programs with lower child-audience shares, suggesting that regulations targeting advertising during times when children are likely to watch TV may be more effective than focusing solely on children’s shows.
The study also highlighted a persistent racial disparity in exposure to food-related ads, with Black children seeing significantly more advertisements than white children. This difference was attributed in part to the amount of time spent watching television.
As children’s media consumption habits evolve, with more time spent on mobile devices and social media platforms, there is a need for further research on their exposure to advertising in these new mediums. Powell’s research group is currently working on a project to measure the ads children encounter through digital entertainment and social media.
In conclusion, while there has been progress in reducing the number of unhealthy food advertisements shown during children’s programming, there is still work to be done to further limit children’s exposure to these ads. Continued research and monitoring of advertising practices are essential to ensure the health and well-being of children in today’s media landscape.