Dale Kunkel

Food Advertising During Children's Television Programming on Broadcast and Cable Channels

The rise in the number of overweight and obese children in the United States is recognized as a serious health threat. Among the factors contributing to this increase is the preponderance of food marketing on television targeted at children. Previous content analysis studies have identified patterns of food product types that are commonly associated with unhealthy diets, but few have attempted to independently evaluate the nutritional quality of advertised foods. This study identifies the nature and extent of food marketing messages presented during childrens television programs, while also classifying the products advertised using a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services consumer food rating scheme. The findings indicate that food advertising accounts for nearly half of all commercial messages on childrens programs. An average hour includes 11 food ads that account for 4:25 of total ad time. Broadcast channels deliver more food advertising than cable channels, although the types of food products marketed on both channels are highly similar. The overwhelming majority of foods ads directed to children are for high-calorie, low nutrient food products that should not be part of a regular diet. These data provide a baseline for evaluating anticipated future industry efforts at reform, such as attempts to comply with a recent Institute of Medicine (2006) policy recommendation that food marketing to children should be balanced between more healthy and less healthy food products within two years time.

Sexual Socialization Messages on Entertainment Television: Comparing Content Trends 1997–2002

Previous content analyses of sex on television have relied on differing measures and sampling strategies, which makes it difficult to compare patterns of sexual portrayals over time. This large-scale study (N = 2,817 programs) examines the sexual messages presented on television across both broadcast and cable channels over a 5-year period, applying identical measures to three biennial samples of program content. Results demonstrate that sexual talk and behavior are highly frequent aspects of the television environment. Talk about sex is shown more often than sexual behavior, though both types of content increased significantly from 1997/1998 to 2001/2002. Over that time span, the percentage of shows portraying sexual intercourse doubled from 7 to 14%. Results also show that topics related to sexual risks or responsibilities (e.g., condom use, abstinence) are increasingly included on television, but nonetheless remain infrequent overall. Such safe sex messages occur most frequently in program environments where they are most relevant (i.e., when sexual intercourse is included in the story). The content analysis findings are discussed in terms of their implications for audience effects.

Government Can Regulate Food Advertising To Children Because Cognitive Research Shows That It Is Inherently Misleading

The childhood obesity crisis has prompted repeated calls for government action to curb the marketing of unhealthy food to children. Food and entertainment industry groups have asserted that the First Amendment prohibits such regulation. However, case law establishes that the First Amendment does not protect inherently misleading commercial speech. Cognitive research indicates that young children cannot effectively recognize the persuasive intent of advertising or apply the critical evaluation required to comprehend commercial messages. Given this combination--that government can prohibit inherently misleading advertising and that children cannot adequately understand commercial messages--advertising to children younger than age twelve should be considered beyond the scope of constitutional protection.

Sexual Socialization Messages on Television Programs Most Popular Among Teens

This paper examines the portrayal of sexual messages in the top 20 most popular television programs among teenagers in the United States. It compares findings from the 2001–2002 and 2004–2005 seasons. Results show that these programs contained a large number of sexual messages, though their frequency decreased over time. Most messages about sex were in the form of conversations. About 1 in 2 shows included portrayals of sexual behaviors, mostly precursory behaviors. Sexual risk and responsibility concerns were rarely addressed. Most consequences for sexual intercourse portrayed in 2004–2005 were negative, a significant change from 2001–2002. The findings implications for adolescents sexual socialization are discussed. This research was supported by grants awarded to the first and second authors by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation of Menlo Park, CA, a nonprofit public health philanthropy.

Evaluating Industry Self-Regulation of Food Marketing to Children

INTRODUCTIONnConcern has grown about the role of televised food advertising as a contributor to childhood obesity. In response, the food industry adopted a program of self-regulation, with participating companies pledging to limit child-targeted advertising to healthier products. The implicit promise of the industry initiative is a significant improvement in the overall nutritional quality of foods marketed to children, thereby negating the need for governmental regulation to accomplish that objective. This study assesses the efficacy of industry self-regulation by comparing advertising content on childrens TV programs before and after self-regulation was implemented.nnnMETHODSnA systematic content analysis of food advertisements (n=625 in 2007, n=354 in 2013) appearing in childrens TV programs on the most popular cable and broadcast channels was conducted.nnnRESULTSnAll analyses were conducted in 2014. Findings indicated that no significant improvement in the overall nutritional quality of foods marketed to children has been achieved since industry self-regulation was adopted. In 2013, 80.5% of all foods advertised to children on TV were for products in the poorest nutritional category, and thus pose high risk for contributing to obesity.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe lack of significant improvement in the nutritional quality of food marketed to children is likely a result of the weak nutritional standards for defining healthy foods employed by industry, and because a substantial proportion of child-oriented food marketers do not participate in self-regulation. The lack of success achieved by self-regulation indicates that other policy actions are needed to effectively reduce childrens exposure to obesogenic food advertising.

Healthy characters? An investigation of marketing practices in children's food advertising

OBJECTIVEnTo determine the nutritional quality of foods advertised with familiar childrens characters and health-related messages.nnnDESIGNnChildrens programming aired on the most popular broadcast and cable channels during 2011 was sampled to form a composite weekday and weekend day. All food advertisements (ads) included in this programming were content analyzed.nnnPARTICIPANTSnFive hundred seventy-seven food ads.nnnVARIABLES MEASUREDnFamiliar characters promoting products were either trade or licensed characters. A products nutritional quality was determined using the United States Department of Health and Human Services categorizations, based on the frequency foods should be consumed. Health cues were present when a food was claimed to be healthy, physical activity was depicted, or the product was associated with fruit.nnnANALYSISnFrequencies and chi square analyses were conducted; P < .05.nnnRESULTSnNearly three quarters (73%) of food ads targeting children use a familiar character. The majority of these ads (72%) promote foods of low nutritional quality, yet 53% employ a health-related message.nnnCONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONSnFamiliar characters proliferate in food advertising to children, yet marketers do not adhere to recommendations that characters promote strictly healthy foods. Future research is needed to investigate effects and inform policy decisions in this realm.

Food Marketing to Children on U.S. Spanish-Language Television

Latino children in particular are at risk of childhood obesity. Because exposure to televised food marketing is a contributor to childhood obesity, it is important to examine the nutritional quality of foods advertised on Spanish-language childrens programming. The authors analyzed a sample of 158 Spanish-language childrens television programs for its advertising content and compared them with an equivalent sample of English-language advertising. The authors evaluated nutritional quality of each advertised product using a food rating system from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, the authors assessed compliance with industry self-regulatory pledges. The authors found that amount of food advertising on Spanish-language channels (M = 2.2 ads/hour) was lower than on English-language programs, but the nutritional quality of food products on Spanish-language channels was substantially poorer than on English channels. Industry self-regulation was less effective on Spanish-language channels. The study provides clear evidence of significant disparities. Food advertising targeted at Spanish-speaking children is more likely to promote nutritionally poor food products than advertising on English-language channels. Industry self-regulation is less effective on Spanish-language television channels. Given the disproportionately high rate of childhood obesity among Latinos, the studys findings hold important implications for public health policy.

Childhood Obesity and the Media

This article assesses the role played by media in contributing to the current epidemic of childhood obesity. Electronic media use, often referred to as screen time, is significantly correlated with child adiposity. Although the causal mechanism that accounts for this relationship is unclear, it is well established that reducing screen time improves weight status. Media advertising for unhealthy foods contributes to obesity by influencing childrens food preferences, requests, and diet. Industry efforts have failed to improve the nutritional quality of foods marketed on television to children, leading public health advocates to recommend government restrictions on child-targeted advertisements for unhealthy foods.

Health‐related messages in food advertisements targeting children

Purpose – The goal of this study was to assess the use of “health” messages in food advertising in the USA which target children. The aim was to determine if these messages indicate the promotion of a healthful product or are a marketing tactic to promote unhealthy items, potentially undermining nutrition education efforts.Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis of food advertisements (n=534) in childrens television shows (n=141) was performed to identify three types of health messages. The type of products promoted with such messages and the nutritional value of those products were assessed.Findings – Over half of food advertisements targeting children use “health” messages, with commercials for fast foods and sugared cereals most likely to include them. The majority of advertisements for nutritionally poor foods include a “health” message.Research limitations/implications – The findings from this research cannot be used to predict the impact health messages have on young viewers, but rather de...

Alignment of Children’s Food Advertising With Proposed Federal Guidelines

INTRODUCTIONnIt is well established that children are exposed to food marketing promoting calorically dense, low-nutrient products. Reducing exposure to obesogenic marketing presents an opportunity to improve childrens health. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which televised food advertising practices targeting children (aged ≤12 years) were consistent with guidelines proposed by a coalition of federal authorities known as the Interagency Working Group on Foods Marketed to Children (IWG).nnnMETHODSnA sample of childrens TV programming aired on five national broadcast networks and two cable channels (N=103 shows) was recorded February to April 2013. The sample contained 354 food ads. Advertised products were identified and categorized using industry classification codes and nutrient data obtained from manufacturers. Product compliance with IWG saturated fat, trans fat, added sugar, and sodium guidelines was evaluated.nnnRESULTSnAnalyses conducted in 2013 revealed that nearly all food ads (94%) met guidelines for trans fats; 68% and 62% met guidelines for sodium and saturated fat, respectively; and 20% complied with added sugar guidelines. Overall, 1.4% of all child-targeted food ads met all aspects of IWG guidelines.nnnCONCLUSIONSnNearly all food advertisements exceeded guidelines for at least one recommended nutrient to limit. Individually, conformity was high for guidelines for trans fats, moderate for sodium and saturated fats, and poor for added sugar. These findings suggest that child-targeted food advertising remains strongly biased toward less healthy options. Policymakers wishing to regulate food marketing should understand the amount and types of advertisements that children view.