Another Reason to Turn Off the TV: Protect Kids From Unhealthy Marketing

Children are exposed to advertisements for sugary cereals, high-calorie sodas and fast food restaurants from every which way every day. With kids using technology at younger and younger ages, marketers are even going beyond television to reach kids online and through video games.

But television is still the main way that kids are exposed to junk food promotions. According to 2011 research by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), children ages 2 to 11 see about 12 TV ads every day for unhealthy products. That is a total of 4,368 total ads viewed every year –just on the television! “The vast majority of youth-directed ads promote unhealthy foods and drinks, such as fast-food products, carbonated beverages, and cereals, candies, and other items that are high in sugar and/or fat,” states the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s FTC report recap.

The more kids soak in these unhealthy advertisements, the more likely they are to consume the high-calorie, sugary products. “Exposure to food marketing not only increases children’s preferences and requests to parents for advertised foods in the short term, but it also leads to increased intake and poor diet over time,” states an editorial paper titled “Food Marketing to Youth: Current Threats and Opportunities” by Marlene B. Schwartz and Amy Ustjanauskas.

Parents and educators know that exercise and healthy eating can protect kids from childhood obesity, but it’s easy to forget that kids’ daily exposure to unhealthy messaging can make them take a step back in integrating healthy habits into their lives. Below are two easy ways adults can protect kids from unhealthy food marketing:

1. Parents: Cut down kids’ screen time
Turn off the TV during breakfast and at dinnertime, and try playing music in the background instead. Families can also think about starting an evening tradition (maybe even involving exercise, like a nightly family walk around the neighborhood) to take the place of sitting in the living room in front of the TV. Record any favorite TV shows and later fast-forward through the commercials.

2. Parents and educators: Be the best healthy role models you can
It’s impossible to eliminate all unhealthy messaging from kids lives, but parents and educators can model healthy behaviors and show kids how eating nutritious foods and exercising can be enjoyable and natural parts of their everyday lives. Teachers could even weave the unhealthy marketing campaigns into classroom lessons where older students analyze the advertisements to gain awareness of marketing tactics. 

What other ways do you protect your kids from unwanted food and beverage advertisements? Tweet us @BagtheJunk or write on our Facebook wall.