Advertisements and Childhood Obesity
Nov 22, 2009 Fitness Weight Loss
Visualize this: youngsters across the world are seated in front of the TV viewing food commercials to the tune of more than five an hour. Most of those commercials are for sugary foods, fast food, and other high-calorie items, each of which can add to childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity and excessive weight is a national problem. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that 17 percent of children are overweight. Further, overweight children quite often become overweight adults. They have an greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and certain cancers, among other ailments and diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the problem may be that American society has become “obesogenic,”. This is defined by situations and environments that elevate increased consumption of food, unhealthful foods, and a sedentary lifestyle.
As reported by researchers at the University of California-Davis, who evaluated the kinds of food commercials observed by kids who watch English- and Spanish-language TV programs. During high viewing times for children (Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons). Recordings were made of programs on twelve networks, which included children’s cable channels, networks that appeal to older youths, mainstream English-language channels, and the two highest rated Spanish language channels.
A total of 5,724 commercials were recorded. Of these, 1,162 were food-related. Kids were exposed to an average of 5.2 food related commercials per hour. Of these commercials, more than 70 percent were for unhealthful foods (foods with elevated sugar and/or high fat content), which add to childhood obesity. Thirty-four percent of these commercials were for fast-food restaurants and convenience foods.
The greatest share of food-related commercials were seen on children’s networks, where the commercials were primarily for sugary cereals and sweets, high-fat foods, fast-food restaurant fare, and snacks. Compared with programming for a generalized audience, children’s networks exposed its viewers to 76 percent more food advertisements per hour than the other networks. Young people who watch TV on a children’s network during Saturday morning from 7 to 10 AM see approximately one food commercial every eight minutes.
Older children continue to be shown unhealthful food advertisements. The researchers observed programming such as the music videos offered by BET and MTV. They found that 80 percent of the MTV food commercials were for fast food restaurants, sugary beverages, and sweets.
The authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, indicated that “Study after study has documented the adverse health effects of food advertising targeting children and adolescents.” They went on to state that “School- and family-based programs that have attempted to reduce children’s media use have shown promise.” But because youngsters are exposed to food commercials by other media, especially the Internet, the authors propose the creation of “nutrition-focused media literary interventions” to help young people understand the economic motivations of food advertisers and the methods the industry applies to increase market for their products. These campaigns, along with others, may help slow down the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.
Here is your free guide to healthful cooking. For more information about some of the causes of childhood obesity visit Facts About Childhood Obesity.
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