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Ads fail to discourage childhood obesity
Nutrition
Chris Fahrenbruch
Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: News
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Despite promises from major food companies to change advertising aimed at children, UA research showed a year later there have been no significant changes, according to a press release.
To reduce childhood obesity, Kellogg's, McDonald's, Kraft and eight other major food companies decided to improve the health messages they sent kids through TV advertisements, said a UA communications professor.
Unhealthy foods were advertised more often than nutritious products, and companies used advertising techniques that appealed to children but did not allow them to understand the nutritional value of the products, according to the press release.
However, the use of nutritional claims was the most frequent tactic used to increase health awareness, said Ron Warren, associate communications professor at the UA.
Many advertisements claimed a specific product would improve an individual's health or well-being. But to qualify as a nutritional claim, an explicit statement about the content of the food, such as no trans fat, had to be mentioned, he said.
Nearly 7.8 percent of advertisements used such nutritional claims, Warren said.
Some companies are making sacrifices they don't have to, he said.
Corporations are going along with the advertising initiative because they don't want the company to look bad if it doesn't partake in something other businesses are doing, Warren said.
It's important to consider what children view because much of what they learn about nutrition is what they see on TV, said Jan Wicks, a UA journalism professor.
Children are not equipped to handle advertisements, Warren said. Advertisements are presented in a lawful way, but they don't give kids a fighting chance, he said.
Younger children pick up on visuals and sound effects of advertisements, but they have a hard time understanding dialogue until they are about 8- or 9-years-old, according to the press release.
Furthermore, the advertising industry doesn't seem compelled to use creativity to teach children good nutrition, he said.
To reduce childhood obesity, Kellogg's, McDonald's, Kraft and eight other major food companies decided to improve the health messages they sent kids through TV advertisements, said a UA communications professor.
Unhealthy foods were advertised more often than nutritious products, and companies used advertising techniques that appealed to children but did not allow them to understand the nutritional value of the products, according to the press release.
However, the use of nutritional claims was the most frequent tactic used to increase health awareness, said Ron Warren, associate communications professor at the UA.
Many advertisements claimed a specific product would improve an individual's health or well-being. But to qualify as a nutritional claim, an explicit statement about the content of the food, such as no trans fat, had to be mentioned, he said.
Nearly 7.8 percent of advertisements used such nutritional claims, Warren said.
Some companies are making sacrifices they don't have to, he said.
Corporations are going along with the advertising initiative because they don't want the company to look bad if it doesn't partake in something other businesses are doing, Warren said.
It's important to consider what children view because much of what they learn about nutrition is what they see on TV, said Jan Wicks, a UA journalism professor.
Children are not equipped to handle advertisements, Warren said. Advertisements are presented in a lawful way, but they don't give kids a fighting chance, he said.
Younger children pick up on visuals and sound effects of advertisements, but they have a hard time understanding dialogue until they are about 8- or 9-years-old, according to the press release.
Furthermore, the advertising industry doesn't seem compelled to use creativity to teach children good nutrition, he said.
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