The Journal of Young Investigators: An Undergraduate, Peer-Reviewed Science Journal

01 September 2005 - A recent study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found that many TV advertisements for unhealthy foods are targeted at kids.

The study claims to be the first to analyze the nutritional value of various food products advertised during TV programs for children ages 6 to 11. Based on the product’s nutritional labels, foods with high sugar content, such as candy and soft drinks, top the list with a staggering 44 percent market share. Another 34.2 percent of TV ads came from convenience and fast food products.

These two categories of food "exceed the [Recommended Daily Values (RDVs)] of fat, saturated fat and sodium, and fail to provide the RDVs of fiber and certain vitamins and minerals," says lead author Kristen Harrison.

The study also found that “snack-time eating” is more prominently displayed than traditional mealtimes. The eating locations depicted in ads – outdoors or in cars - are usually not associated with traditional “meal-time” eating places. In addition, the study found that there was little mention of dairy products, fruits, vegetables, poultry, and meats.

TV ads targeted at adult audiences did not fare any better. The study found that 57.1 percent of those ads were for convenience and fast food products.

"How many kids actually eat a diet like that, I can't say," says Harrison. "But it's important to note that this is the nutritional composition of the diet being marketed to kids and their families, and research shows that the more they are exposed to such advertising, the more likely they are to buy the advertised foods. So, heavy TV viewers probably follow a diet more similar to the TV-advertised diet than do lighter viewers."

There is some hope, however, as Harrison and her colleagues claim, "parental involvement is the most important factor in the determination of the family diet."

"Parents can work to maintain the integrity of the family pantry not only through selective shopping, but also through efforts to instruct their children about food and nutrition," says Harrison.

Harrison and her colleagues determined that, on average, about 10.65 food ads air per hour in their sample size. Previous research had found that preteens watch about 3 hours of television per day. This translates into 11,000 ads watched by each preteen per year.

Using this information and Nielsen Media Research studies that showed the most popular children’s television shows, Harrison and her colleagues were able to gather their data over a 5-week period in the north-central Illinois area.

This research appears in the September edition of the American Journal of Public Health.

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