Food Ads and Children
Article
published by Centre for Health Initiatives deals with children obesity. The
research shows that children are eating more regularly outside the home, they
also eat bigger portions, consume more soft drinks and are eating less fruits
and vegetables. Advertising is important factor in children´s eating habits and
unfortunately unhealthy food is advertising with further frequency that healthy
food. In this research parents said that their children consumptions of candy,
chips and chocolate is 2-6 times per week and 1-2 time per week they consume
takeaway food.
I assume
that this numbers are bigger nowadays, as this study was done in 2010. It is proved that food advertising affect
children. Moreover, the ads are not about the foot itself, but more often about
the gifts, toys, products you get when you purchase the food. It is just another
marketing strategy of fast-foods companies to attract more children. Moreover,
they know children will not come by themselves but of course with parents who
are more likely to also order their food.
What can be done to reduce the negative impact of advertising?
Watch these videos to learn more about this topic!
Sources
Jones,
S. C., & Kervin, L. (2011). An experimental study on the effects of
exposure to magazine advertising on children's food choices. Public Health
Nutrition, 14(8), 1337-44. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980010002983
B.
(2011). Fighting junk food marketing to kids. Retrieved April, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBj3Fjyr57A
T.
(2013). Marketing food to children | Anna Lappe | TEDxManhattan. Retrieved
April, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bop3D7-dDM
H.
(2015). Food Marketing to Kids - Food Advertising vs Reality. Retrieved April,
2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjHxLcGlHhQ
C. (2013). Junk Food Ads and Kids. Retrieved April, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ahMQwxN9Js
I agree with author that nowadays producers of junk food are using media as a tool to sell their product in bigger amount and better, because modern children are spending more time in internet than before. Using colourful and attractive commercials to make children want to taste their product Is very smart and profitable idea. That’s why it is important to control children and their feeding ration so as consequence not to have overweight child. And also it is important to inculcate children love to healthy and natural food.
ReplyDeleteI agree that junk food is advertised more often and is pointed at children, but isn't the consumption of junk food also a mistake done by parents? If parent would not buy the food, the child would not eat it.
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