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(Reuters Health) – TV commercials for sweets, fast foods, sugary drinks and other unhealthy treats continue to target mainly Black and Hispanic youth, according to a new report suggesting that it contributes to inequalities in health.
The report found that overall spending on TV commercials by restaurants, food and beverage companies fell from $ 11.4 billion in 2013 to $ 10.9 billion in 2017. While TV shows among children and teens also declined during this period, in the US, youths continued to watch about 10 TV-related food advertisements per day in 2017.
And spending on advertisements for black children and youth has increased by 53% to $ 333 million by the last year of the study. Black children saw an average of 16.4 ads per day in 2017, and black teenagers saw an average of 17.1 per day.
Young Hispanics, meanwhile, saw two more ads a day on Spanish-language television in 2017 than at the beginning of the study, in addition to seeing them in English.
"Food companies are almost exclusively junk food – especially fast food, sweets, sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks – and these products are disproportionately advertised to black and Hispanic youth," said Jennifer Harris, author report, from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut in Hartford.
This contributes to health disparities, such as a long-term risk of obesity, diabetes and heart disease in children of color in the United States, largely because children are struggling to resist to junk food that they see advertised on TV, Harris said.
"It's a common misconception that you can teach children to defend themselves against the effects of advertising for unhealthy foods," Harris said via e-mail.
"In our discussions with the children, they know that these products are unhealthy and that they know that fruits and vegetables would be a better snack," she added. "But teens are not mature enough to withstand short-term benefits (sweets, chips, fast food, sweet snacks) in the interest of long-term benefits, such as good health in 20 years."
The report badyzed ads from 32 major food, beverage and food companies that spent at least $ 100 million on child and youth food advertising in 2017.
That year, advertising spending on healthy products such as water, nuts, fruit and 100% fruit juice was only $ 195 million, or about 3% of spending. Businesses spent only 1% of advertising spend on black-targeted TV on healthy products and did not even advertise these items on Spanish TV channels.
Black children and teenagers watched 70% more ads than white kids in 2013, and 86 more ads than white kids and teens in 2017.
The study was not designed to demonstrate whether advertising had a direct impact on the health or eating habits of children.
Jennifer Emond, a researcher at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, says however that constant exposure to advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages can affect children's standards and expectations. food stuff. not involved in the study.
"Unfortunately, the most targeted foods and beverages for kids of color are high in sugar, salt and / or fat, like sugary drinks, sweets and fast foods," Emond said via email. "And these foods should not be eaten regularly."
To help mitigate the effects of these promotions, parents should talk to kids about tips that ads could use to convince kids to crack unhealthy foods and drinks, and to discuss healthy eating habits, said Dr. Megan. Pesch, of the University of Michigan, CS Mott. Ann Arbor Children's Hospital.
"It's important for children to know what foods can help their bodies become stronger and stay healthy, without giving the impression that junk food looks like a forbidden fruit," said Pesch, not involved. in the study, by email.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2FlcHTe Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, online 15 January 2019.
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