scholarly journals Children’s measured exposure to food and beverage advertising on television in Toronto (Canada), May 2011–May 2019

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elise Pauzé ◽  
Monique Potvin Kent
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Snack Foods ◽  
Food Advertisements ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Advertising Exposure ◽  
Children’S Exposure

Abstract Objective Exposure to unhealthy food advertising is a known determinant of children’s poor dietary behaviours. The purpose of this study was to quantify and characterize Canadian children’s exposure to food advertising on broadcast television and examine trends over time. Methods Objectively measured advertising exposure data for 19 food categories airing on 30 stations broadcast in Toronto were licenced for May 2011 and May 2019. Using ad ratings data, the average number of food advertisements viewed by children aged 2–11 years, overall, by food category and by type of television station (child-appealing, adolescent-appealing and generalist stations), was estimated per time period. Results In May 2019, children viewed an average of 136 food advertisements on television, 20% fewer than in May 2011. More than half of advertisements viewed in May 2019 promoted unhealthy food categories such as fast food (43% of exposure), candy (6%), chocolate (6%) and regular soft drinks (5%) and only 17% of their total exposure occurred on child-appealing stations. Between May 2011 and May 2019, children’s exposure increased the most, in absolute terms, for savory snack foods (+7.2 ad exposures/child), fast food (+5.4) and regular soft drinks (+5.3) with most of these increases occurring on generalist stations. Conclusion Canadian children are still exposed to advertisements promoting unhealthy food categories on television despite voluntary restrictions adopted by some food companies. Statutory restrictions should be adopted and designed such that children are effectively protected from unhealthy food advertising on both stations intended for general audiences and those appealing to younger audiences.

Children’s measured exposure to food and beverage advertising on television in a regulated environment, May 2011-2019

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Elise Pauzé ◽  
Lauren Remedios ◽  
Monique Potvin Kent
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Trends Over Time ◽  
Human Participants ◽  
Commercial Advertising ◽  
Children’S Exposure ◽  
Media Data

Abstract Objective: To quantify food/beverage advertising on television in Montreal (Quebec), to estimate and characterize children’s exposure, and to examine trends over time. Design: Television food advertising data were licensed for 19 food categories and 18 stations for May 2011, 2016 and 2019. The frequency of advertisements and the average number viewed per child aged 2-11 years overall, by food category and by station type (i.e. youth-appealing (n=3) and generalist (n=15) stations) was determined. The percent change in advertising and exposure between May 2011 and 2019 was calculated. Setting: Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Participants: This study used media data and did not directly involve human participants. Results: The total number of television advertisements increased by 11% between May 2011 (n=41,084) and May 2019 (n=45,406) however exposure to food/beverage advertisements decreased by 53%, going from 226 ads/child in May 2011 to 107 ads/child in May 2019. Overall, the most advertised food categories in both May 2011 and 2019 were fast food (29.8% and 39.2%, respectively) followed by chocolate (14.2%) in 2011 and savory snacks (9.7%) in 2019. In May 2019, children were predominantly exposed to unhealthy food categories such as fast food (41.3% of exposure), savory snacks (7.5%), chocolate (5.0%) and regular soft drinks (4.5%), and most (89.3%) of their total exposure occurred on generalist television stations. Conclusion: Despite Quebec’s restrictions on commercial advertising directed to children under 13 years, Quebecois children are still frequently exposed to unhealthy food advertising on television. Government should tighten restrictions to protect children from this exposure.

scholarly journals Food and Beverage Advertising to Children and Adolescents on Television: A Baseline Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1999
Author(s):  
Adena Pinto ◽  
Elise Pauzé ◽  
Rachel Mutata ◽  
Marie-Hélène Roy-Gagnon ◽  
Monique Potvin Kent
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Television Station ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Adolescents And Adults ◽  
Advertising To Children

The progressive rise in Canadian child obesity has paralleled trends in unhealthy food consumption. Industry has contributed to these trends through aggressive food and beverage marketing in various media and child settings. This study aimed to assess the extent of food and beverage advertising on television in Canada and compare the frequency of food advertising broadcasted during programs targeted to preschoolers, children, adolescents and adults. Annual advertising from 2018 was drawn from publicly available television program logs. Food and beverage advertisement rates and frequencies were compared by, target age group, television station, month and food category, using linear regression modelling and chi-square tests, in SAS version 9.4. Rates of food and beverage advertising differed significantly between the four target age groups, and varied significantly by television station and time of the year, in 2018. The proportion of advertisements for food and beverage products was significantly greater during preschooler-, child-, and adult-programming [5432 (54%), 142,451 (74%) and 2,886,628 (48%), respectively; p < 0.0001] compared to adolescent-programming [27,268 (42%)]. The proportion of advertisements promoting fast food was significantly greater among adolescent-programming [33,475 (51%), p < 0.0001] compared to other age groups. Legislation restricting food and beverage advertising is needed in Canada as current self-regulatory practices are failing to protect young people from unhealthy food advertising and its potential negative health effects.

scholarly journals Identifying ‘unhealthy’ food advertising on television: a case study applying the UK Nutrient Profile model

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 614-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Jenkin ◽  
Nick Wilson ◽  
Nicole Hermanson
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Nutrient Profile ◽  
Food Advertisements ◽  
Advertising To Children ◽  
The Uk

AbstractObjectivesTo evaluate the feasibility of the UK Nutrient Profile (NP) model for identifying ‘unhealthy’ food advertisements using a case study of New Zealand television advertisements.DesignFour weeks of weekday television from 15.30 hours to 18.30 hours was videotaped from a state-owned (free-to-air) television channel popular with children. Food advertisements were identified and their nutritional information collected in accordance with the requirements of the NP model. Nutrient information was obtained from a variety of sources including food labels, company websites and a national nutritional database.ResultsFrom the 60 h sample of weekday afternoon television, there were 1893 advertisements, of which 483 were for food products or retailers. After applying the NP model, 66 % of these were classified as advertising high-fat, high-salt and high-sugar (HFSS) foods; 28 % were classified as advertising non-HFSS foods; and the remaining 2 % were unclassifiable. More than half (53 %) of the HFSS food advertisements were for ‘mixed meal’ items promoted by major fast-food franchises. The advertising of non-HFSS food was sparse, covering a narrow range of food groups, with no advertisements for fresh fruit or vegetables.ConclusionsDespite the NP model having some design limitations in classifying real-world televised food advertisements, it was easily applied to this sample and could clearly identify HFSS products. Policy makers who do not wish to completely restrict food advertising to children outright should consider using this NP model for regulating food advertising.

scholarly journals Exposure to Food and Beverage Advertising on Television among Canadian Adolescents, 2011 to 2016

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine D Czoli ◽  
Elise Pauzé ◽  
Monique Potvin Kent
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Food Marketing ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Sugary Drinks ◽  
Food Advertisements ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Media Research ◽  
Adolescent Exposure ◽  
Do So

Adolescents represent a key audience for food advertisers, however there is little evidence of adolescent exposure to food marketing in Canada. This study examined trends in Canadian adolescents’ exposure to food advertising on television. To do so, data on 19 food categories were licensed from Nielsen Media Research for May 2011, 2013, and 2016 for the broadcasting market of Toronto, Canada. The average number of advertisements viewed by adolescents aged 12–17 years on 31 television stations during the month of May each year was estimated using television ratings data. Findings revealed that between May 2011 and May 2016, the total number of food advertisements aired on all television stations increased by 4%, while adolescents’ average exposure to food advertising decreased by 31%, going from 221 ads in May 2011 to 154 in May 2016. In May 2016, the advertising of fast food and sugary drinks dominated, relative to other categories, accounting for 42% and 11% of all exposures, respectively. The findings demonstrate a declining trend in exposure to television food advertising among Canadian adolescents, which may be due to shifts in media consumption. These data may serve as a benchmark for monitoring and evaluating future food marketing policies in Canada.

scholarly journals The targeting of preschoolers, children, adolescents and adults by the Canadian food and beverage industry on television: A cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adena Pinto ◽  
Elise Pauzé ◽  
Marie-Hélène Roy-Gagnon ◽  
Lise Dubois ◽  
Monique Potvin Kent
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Breakfast Cereal ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Television Programming ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Adolescents And Adults ◽  
Advertising To Children

Unhealthy food advertising can negatively impact children’s food preferences and nutritional health. In Canada, only companies participating in the self-regulatory Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI) commit to limiting unhealthy food advertising to children. We analyzed food advertising from 182 Canadian television stations in 2018. A principal component analysis explored patterns of advertising by 497 food companies and their targeting of preschoolers, children, adolescents, and adults. Chi-square analyses tested differences in the volume of advertising between target age groups by heavily advertising food companies and by CAI-participating and non-participating companies. In 2018, Maple Leaf Foods, Boulangerie St-Méthode, Exceldor Foods, Goodfood Market and Sobeys advertised most frequently during preschooler-programming. General Mills, Kellogg’s, the Topps Company, Parmalat and Post Foods advertised most frequently during child-programming, while Burger King, McDonald’s, General Mills, Kellogg’s and Wendy’s advertised most frequently during adolescent-programming. CAI-participating companies were responsible for over half of the food advertising broadcast during programs targeted to children (55%), while they accounted for less than half of the food advertising aired during programs targeting preschoolers (24%), adolescents (41%) and adults (42%). Statutory food advertising restrictions are needed to limit food companies’ targeting of young people on television in Canada. Novelty: •Advertising from fast food restaurant chains dominated television programming targeted to adolescents in 2018. •Advertising from breakfast cereal, candy, and snack manufacturers dominated television programming targeted at children in 2018. •Over 100 Canadian and transnational companies contravened broadcast restrictions on advertising to preschoolers in 2018.

scholarly journals Exploring the extent of digital food and beverage related content associated with a family-friendly event: a case study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Amson ◽  
Lauren Remedios ◽  
Adena Pinto ◽  
Monique Potvin Kent
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Food Marketing ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Family Friendly ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Coding Manual

Abstract Background Exposure to unhealthy food and beverage content is a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. Youth are susceptible to unhealthy digital food marketing including content shared by their peers, which can be as influential as commercial marketing. Current Canadian regulations do not consider the threat digital food marketing poses to health. No research to date has examined the prevalence of food related posts on social media surrounding family-friendly events. The aim of this study was to explore the frequency of food related content (including food marketing) and the marketing techniques employed in social media posts related to a family-friendly event in Canada. Methods In this case study, a content analysis of social media posts related to a family-friendly event on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram was conducted between January to February 2019. Each post containing food related content was identified and categorized by source and food category using a coding manual. Marketing techniques found in each food related post were also assessed. Results A total of 732 food and beverage related posts were assessed. These posts were most commonly promoted through Instagram (n = 561, 76.6%) with significantly more individual users (61.5%; p < 0.05) generating food and beverage related content (n = 198, 27%) than other post sources. The top most featured food category was fast food (n = 328, 44.8%) followed by dine-in restaurants (n = 126, 17.2%). The most frequently observed marketing techniques included predominantly featuring a child in the post (n = 124, 16.9%; p < 0.0001), followed by products intended for children (n = 118, 16.1%; p < 0.05), and the presence of family (n = 57, 7.8%; p < 0.0001). Conclusions The present study highlights the proliferation of unhealthy food and beverage content by individuals at a family-friendly event as well as the presence of food marketing. Due to the unfettered advertising found in digital spaces, and that they are largely unregulated, it is important for future policies looking to combat childhood obesity to consider incorporating social media into their regulations to safeguard family-friendly events. General awareness on the implications of peer to peer sharing of unhealthy food and beverage posts should also be considered.

scholarly journals Exposure of Children to Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertisements in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3856
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Yamoah ◽  
Jeroen De Man ◽  
Sunday O. Onagbiye ◽  
Zandile J. Mchiza
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Regulation System ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
The South ◽  
Food And Beverages ◽  
Persuasive Strategies ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Marketing To Children

Television (TV) is a powerful medium for marketing food and beverages. Food and beverage marketers tend to use this medium to target children with the hope that children will in turn influence their families’ food choices. No study has assessed the compliance of TV marketers with the South African Marketing to Children pledge since the enactment of the 2014 food advertising recommendations by the South African Department of Health and the Advertising Standards Authority. This study investigated the extent and nature of advertising of unhealthy versus healthy food and beverages to children in South African TV broadcasting channels. The date, time, type, frequency and target audience of food advertisements (ads) on four free-to-air South African TV channels were recorded and captured using a structured assessment guide. The presence of persuasive marketing techniques was also assessed. Unhealthy food and beverage advertising was recorded at a significantly higher rate compared with healthy food and beverages during the time frame when children were likely to be watching TV. Brand benefit claims, health claims and power strategies (e.g., advertising using cartoon characters and celebrated individuals) were used as persuasive strategies. These persuasive strategies were used more in unhealthy versus healthy food ads. The findings are in breach of the South African Marketing to Children pledge and suggest a failure of the industry self-regulation system. We recommend the introduction of monitored and enforced statutory regulations to ensure healthy TV food advertising space.

Exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertising during the school commute in Australia

2021 ◽  
pp. jech-2021-217032
Author(s):  
Gina Trapp ◽  
Paula Hooper ◽  
Lukar E Thornton ◽  
Kelly Kennington ◽  
Ainslie Sartori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Food Marketing ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Outdoor Advertising ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Environment ◽  
Dietary Behaviours ◽  
Food Advertisements ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
High Level

BackgroundFood marketing exposure has the potential to influence children’s dietary behaviours and health status, however, few studies have identified how ‘obesogenic’ the outdoor food marketing environment is along public transport (bus and/or train) or walking routes that children take to school.MethodsAudits of all outdoor advertisements present along likely train, bus and walking routes to 24 secondary schools (ie, 3 routes per school, 72 routes total) were conducted in Perth, Western Australia (WA). The size, content, type and setting of each advertisement were recorded in accordance with the International Network for Food and Obesity/non-communicable diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support protocol for monitoring outdoor advertising.ResultsOf the 4016 total advertisements observed, almost half were for food (n=1754, 44%) and of these, 80% (n=1397) advertised discretionary (non-core) foods, and 8% (n=138) advertised healthy (core) foods. On average, commuting to school by train, bus and walking exposed Perth schoolchildren to 37.1, 22 and 4.5 discretionary (non-core) food ads per one-way trip to school, respectively.ConclusionsChildren living in Perth, WA experience a high level of exposure to unhealthy outdoor food advertisements during the school commute. Policies which restrict the placement and content of outdoor advertising, could be a useful strategy in the fight against childhood obesity.

Space-time analysis of unhealthy food advertising: New Zealand children’s exposure and health policy options

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 812-820
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Michelle Barr ◽  
Amber L Pearson ◽  
Tim Chambers ◽  
Karin A Pfeiffer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Food Advertising ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Density Mapping ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Wearable Cameras ◽  
Children’S Exposure

Abstract Reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising is an accepted strategy to end childhood obesity. This study aimed to (i) measure children’s space-time exposures to unhealthy food advertising in public outdoor spaces, using GPS and wearable cameras; and (ii) test effectiveness of banning options. We compiled data (collected July 2014—June 2015) on 138 12-year-old children in Wellington, New Zealand, using wearable cameras and GPS devices worn over 4 days. In 2017–18, we linked 59 150 images taken in public outdoor spaces to GPS data. Of these, 1631 contained unhealthy food advertising exposures, defined as ≥50% of an advertisement observed in each image. We examined spatial patterns using kernel density mapping and graphed space-time trends. We interpolated a kriged exposure rate across Wellington to estimate exposure reductions for potential bans. Children were exposed to 7.4 (95% CI 7.0–7.8) unhealthy food advertisements/hour spent in outdoor public spaces. Exposures occurred in shopping centres, residential areas and sports facilities, commonly involving fast food, sugary drinks and ice cream. Peak exposure times were weekend afternoons/evenings and weekdays before/after school. In Wellington, we estimated that banning such advertising within 400 m of playgrounds would yield a 33% reduction in exposure, followed by in residential areas (27%), within 400 m of schools (25%), and 50% for a ban combining all above. This work documents the extent of children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertising and the potential impact of bans. Given the ubiquity of advertising in public spaces, this New Zealand research offers innovative methods and findings likely relevant in other jurisdictions.

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