Commercials and Childhood Obesity

Visualize this: children across the world are seated in front of the TV watching 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, all of which can add to childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity and excessive weight is a national problem. The National Center for Health Statistics show that 17 percent of children are overweight. Further, overweight children quite often become overweight adults. They have an increased 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 characterized by situations and environments that elevate increased consumption of food, unhealthful foods, and a sedentary lifestyle.

According to researchers at the University of California-Davis, that studied the kinds of food commercials observed by children 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.

An aggregate of 5,724 commercials were taped. 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 items (foods with high sugar and/or high fat content), which add to childhood obesity. Thirty-four percent of the commercials were for fast-food restaurants and convenience foods.

The highest percentage of food-related ads were seen on children’s networks, where the ads were mostly for sugary cereals and sweets, high-fat foods, fast-food restaurant fare, and snacks. Compared with TV for a generalized audience, children’s TV exposed its watchers to 76 percent more food ads per hour than the other networks. Children who watch TV on a children’s network during Saturday morning from 7 to 10 AM observe approximately one food commercial per eight minutes.

Older kids continue to be shown unhealthful food commercials. 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 publishers of the study, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, wrote that “Study after study has documented the adverse health effects of food advertising targeting children and adolescents.” They continued to state that “School- and family-based programs that have attempted to reduce children’s media use have shown promise.” But because children are exposed to food commercials via other media, especially the Internet, the authors suggest the introduction of “nutrition-focused media literary interventions” to help young people translate the economic motives of food advertisers and the ways the industry uses to increase desire 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.