Kids’ food ads under scrutiny from FSA
Children are being encouraged to adopt unhealthy eating habits by adverts that are targeted specifically at younger audiences, according to the Food Standards Agency.
The FSA today published the UK’s first systematic review of whether advertising has any effect on children’s relationship with food.
Professor Gerard Hastings looked at over 100 previously-published studies on the subject, and found that a significant proportion of food advertising is targeted at children.
He commented: ‘Advertising to children does have an effect on their preferences, purchase behaviour and consumption, and these effects are apparent not just for different brands but also for different types of food.’
The research shows that TV adverts are the main source of child-focused promotion, with the ‘big four’ of pre-sugared breakfast cereals, soft-drinks, confectionary and savoury snacks leading the way, while fast food is rapidly catching up.
The report notes that some studies showed advertising could undermine children’s nutritional knowledge, while others proved that advertising influenced a primary class’s choice of snack at playtime. And the labelling on a vending machine had an effect on what was bought by secondary school pupils.
Although the research is not conclusive it suggests that children do take in the messages from TV and use their buying power – or their parents’ – in response to them.
But the major problem arises from that is summed up in
the report: “The advertised diet contrasts sharply with that recommended by public health advisors, and themes of fun and fantasy or taste, rather than health and nutrition, are used to promote it to children.”
That could mean that the increase in childhood weight problems – one in ten is now clinically obese – is related to the marketing of ‘unhealthy’ foods.
The research notes that this is “extremely difficult” to prove. A clear link between television viewing and diet, obesity, and cholesterol levels has been established but that could be due to inertia rather than the effects of advertising.
Other more detailed studies have shown that the more food adverts children saw, the more snacks and calories they consumed.
The report also suggest that any effect ton children could be underestimated because few studies take into account factors such as merchandising tie-ins at fast food chains, or the massive promotions that are on display in shops.
But the apparent success of advertising doesn’t have to be a bad thing, according to Professor Hastings, with the report suggesting that the debate should now focus on “how the power of commercial marketing can be used to bring about improvements in young people’s eating”.
