Meeting Report
04/24/2002
Kids getting a steady diet of fast food on the tube
HONOLULU, April 24 - Television commercials aired during children's shows now emphasize larger fast-food portions compared with Saturday morning ads in the 1970s, which focused mainly on sugary breakfast cereals, according to a study being presented at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum. Researchers say this trend may contribute to the rise in childhood obesity.
Physical inactivity during leisure activities, including television viewing, has been implicated as a contributor to the prevalence of obesity in children and risk for heart disease later in life.
"This study cannot confirm an association between the products advertised and the health status of children and teens," says Marlene M. Most, Ph.D., R.D., associate professor of research, Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. "However, our findings suggest that if young people were to consume many of the products being advertised to them, and also had a decrease in physical activity, this could contribute to obesity and heart disease."
In 1976, most of the commercials directed at young people on Saturday mornings were for breakfast cereal (43 percent of total commercials). The next largest category was candy commercials followed by advertisements for fast-food restaurants, says Most.
"Although breakfast cereal commercials remain popular during Saturday morning programming, we noticed a real surge in commercials for fast-food restaurants over the past 25 years," she says.
Not only has the number of fast-food commercials increased, the type of commercials has changed over the years as well, Most says. In 1976, most fast-food restaurants emphasized the food itself, with lots of pictures of hamburgers, french fries and soft drinks. In 1992, however, the emphasis changed to the "fun" atmosphere of fast-food restaurants. Then in 2001, the focus shifted again to emphasize the value of larger "kid-sized" portions now available. "As a dietitian, it's disturbing to see even larger food portions being directed at young people, since most Americans already eat portions way beyond what is heart-healthy," she says.
Most and her colleague, John W. Windhauser, Ph.D., Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University, also in Baton Rouge, studied commercials aired during Saturday morning children's television in 1976, 1984, 1992 and 2001. For each year they analyzed the commercials aired during a three-hour time block on Saturday mornings over a 10-week period.
Nutritional information for the food products being advertised was obtained from product labels as well as from USDA and Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals databases. The food products being advertised to children were analyzed for major nutrients as well as fat, cholesterol, sugar and sodium content.
"Back in the 1970s, TV commercials directed at children were being criticized for emphasizing high-sugar foods, such as some breakfast cereals, but no one had really studied this to see what was actually happening," Most says. "We looked at almost 3,000 commercials aimed at children and teens and really got a good idea of not only what was being advertised, but how commercials aired during children's programming had changed over the past 25 years."
For 1976, 1984 and 1992, only commercials shown during Saturday morning kid's programming on the big three U.S. networks - ABC, CBS and NBC - were analyzed. The Fox network was added in 2001.
Another trend in commercials aimed at children is that candy commercials, which had been the second most frequent type of advertising in 1976, accounted for less than 10 percent of overall advertising during children's programming in 2001. Most says there seems to be more advertising of fruit drinks and fruit products today, but most of them are as high in sugar as candy products advertised in the 1970s.
"With this study we felt it was important to continue the examination of messaging to young people who are at an impressionable age in making food choices. Many of these patterns in food choices may continue for many years, influencing an individual's health outlook for years to come," she says.
American Heart Association
Childhood obesity shadows advertising trends
A rise in childhood obesity parallels a rise in commercials for high-fat, fast foods on children’s Saturday morning TV programming, according to a study by Marlene Most of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Center and John Windhauser of LSU’s Manship School of Journalism.
Most and Windhauser looked at almost 3,000 commercials aimed at children and teens during the past 25 years. Originally the commercials pushed candy and breakfast cereals, but as time went on there has been an increase in the number of commercials for fast foods, such as burgers and fries. The number of fast food commercials now equals the number of commercials for cereals and beverages.
In addition, the ads are pushing ever-larger portions, something which concerns Most, a dietician. “Americans already eat portions way beyond what is heart-healthy,” she said.
Most and Windhauser studied ads run on Saturday morning children’s TV in 1976, 1984, 1992 and 2001. Among other things, they found that candy commercials, which were the second most frequent type of advertising in 1976, took up only 10 percent of advertising in 2001. Although there is more advertising of fruit drinks and fruit products today, those products are just as high in sugar as the candy advertised in 1976, Most said.
The rise in childhood obesity has been the subject of a lot of medical and media attention recently, with some sources calling it an “epidemic.” According to recent federal figures, childhood obesity has tripled since 1960, with one in four children overweight, and one in seven clinically obese.
The study does not associate specific foods with the rise in obesity, and, in fact, dietary habits are not the only factor, said Windhauser. “Kids need to get out more. They sit there in front of the television all day, or play video games, and never get any exercise. That’s the other half of it,” he said.
One thing he suggested was telling kids what the advertising aimed at them was really saying. “All it’s really saying is, ‘buy me, buy me.’”
Most suggested parents should help their children learn to make healthy dietary choices. “What they learn when they are young becomes habit, and tends to stay with them all their lives,” she said.
Most and Windhauser presented their findings at the American Heart Association’s
Asia Pacific Scientific Forum this past spring.