Posted Jan 7, 2010
Says 3 out of 4 products are low in nutrition
Dale Kunkel, University of Arizona communications professor, says the food and beverage industry is exploiting children.
His study, “The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children,” found that nearly three-fourths of advertisements directed at kids are for foods with the least nutrition.
Kunkel is in Washington, D.C., this week to present his study to the Federal Trade Commission, which is holding a hearing on advertising to children and its connection to childhood obesity. To avoid stricter regulation, food and beverage companies have pledged to advertise only healthful food to kids, but have failed in that promise, Kunkel says.
“What the industry does is offer voluntary steps to basically forestall governmental regulations,” Kunkel said. “What we’re doing is holding them accountable.”
Five main points from his study:
1. More than 72 percent of foods advertised on television to children are known as “Whoa” foods, which are defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human services as foods that should be eaten only on “special occasions, such as your birthday.”
2. More than half of advertising using licensed characters are for “Whoa” foods.
3. There is no uniform nutritional standard used by companies to define what “healthy” means.
“The criteria vary substantially,” Kunkel said.
4. Roughly 30 percent of food and beverage ads are from companies that don’t participate in the industry’s self-regulation guidelines, which are meant to keep foods geared to children relatively healthful.
“Even if the industry was doing a good job, which it’s not, nearly a third . . . of the ads are from companies that don’t participate in self-regulation and have no restrictions at all on sugar, salt, fat and calories.”
5. Fruits and vegetables account for 1 percent of all ads targeting kids.
For a link to Kunkel’s study, go to azstarnet.com and click on this story.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
On StarNet:View Dale Kunkel’s study: publications.childrennow.org/ publications/media/adstudy _2009.htm
Date: Jan 7, 2010