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Food Advertisements in Two Popular U.S. Parenting Magazines: Results of a Five-Year Analysis

Canadian Center of Science and Education
Global Journal of Health Science
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Obesity rates among American youth have prompted an examination of food advertisements geared towards children. Research indicates children’s high exposure to these advertisements and their influence on food preferences. Less is known about the presence of these advertisements in parenting magazines. This study’s objective was to examine prevalence of food advertisements in popular parenting magazines and identify products by USDA food category. We analyzed 116 issues of two popular U.S. parenting magazines across five years. All food and beverage advertisements for USDA Food Category were coded. Breakfast cereals were coded for nutritional quality. The coding took place at varied libraries in New Jersey, in the United States. A total of 19,879 food and beverage products were analyzed. One-third of advertisements (32.5%) were for baked goods, snacks, and sweets -- products generally low in nutrient density. Two-thirds of the breakfast cereals were low in nutritional quality (64.6%). Beverages comprised 11% of the advertisements, fruit juices the highest proportion. Less than 3% of advertisements were for fruits and vegetables combined. No significant food product trends were evident across the five-year period. Food advertisements identified in parenting magazines were generally low in nutritional value. Additional research is necessary to determine the influence of food advertisements on parents’ purchasing habits.
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Global Journal of Health Science; Vol. 6, No. 2; 2014
ISSN 1916-9736 E-ISSN 1916-9744
Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education
175
Food Advertisements in Two Popular U.S. Parenting Magazines:
Results of a Five-Year Analysis
Corey H. Basch1, Rodney N. Hammond2, Danna Ethan3 & Lalitha Samuel4
1 Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, USA
2 Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA
3 Health Education and Promotion, Department of Health Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of
New York, Bronx, NY, USA
4 Dietetics, Foods, and Nutrition, Department of Health Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New
York, Bronx, NY, USA
Correspondence: Corey H. Basch, Ed.D, M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Public Health, Department of Public
Health, Wing 150, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ 07470, USA. Tel: 973-720-2603. E-mail:
BASCHC@wpunj.edu
Received: October 17, 2013 Accepted: November 15, 2013 Online Published: December 24, 2013
doi:10.5539/gjhs.v6n2p175 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v6n2p175
Abstract
Obesity rates among American youth have prompted an examination of food advertisements geared towards
children. Research indicates children’s high exposure to these advertisements and their influence on food
preferences. Less is known about the presence of these advertisements in parenting magazines. This study’s
objective was to examine prevalence of food advertisements in popular parenting magazines and identify
products by USDA food category. We analyzed 116 issues of two popular U.S. parenting magazines across five
years. All food and beverage advertisements for USDA Food Category were coded. Breakfast cereals were coded
for nutritional quality. The coding took place at varied libraries in New Jersey, in the United States. A total of
19,879 food and beverage products were analyzed. One-third of advertisements (32.5%) were for baked goods,
snacks, and sweets -- products generally low in nutrient density. Two-thirds of the breakfast cereals were low in
nutritional quality (64.6%). Beverages comprised 11% of the advertisements, fruit juices the highest proportion.
Less than 3% of advertisements were for fruits and vegetables combined. No significant food product trends
were evident across the five-year period. Food advertisements identified in parenting magazines were generally
low in nutritional value. Additional research is necessary to determine the influence of food advertisements on
parents’ purchasing habits.
Keywords: parenting magazines, food advertisements, obesity
1. Introduction
Over a third of American children and adolescents are categorized as overweight or obese (CDC, 2012a; Ogden
et al., 2012; National Center for Health Statistics, 2012). The immediate consequences of childhood obesity
include breathing and joint problems, gastro-esophageal reflux, social and psychological issues. Long-term
consequences include risk of adulthood obesity with its related health effects (CDC, 2012b; Whitlock, Williams,
Gold, Smith, & Shipman, 2005; Han, Lawlor, & Kimm, 2010; Swartz & Puhl, 2003; Taylor et al., 2006;
Sutherland, 2008).
Children are eating less than the recommended allowance for whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and are
consuming more high-carbohydrate and energy-dense food (Salinsky, 2006). Data from the National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate that the three leading sources of energy for two- to
eighteen-year-olds are grain desserts (e.g. cookies, cakes, donuts, granola bars), pizza, and soda (Reedy &
Krebs-Smith, 2010). Concerning younger children, home-packed lunches of pre-schoolers have been shown to
lack requisite servings of fruits, vegetables and milk (Sweitzer, Briley, & Robert-Gray, 2009). Adolescent
snacking has increased by over 20% since the 1970s with a significant portion high in fat, added sugar, or both,
leading to higher daily intake of calories (Sebastian, Goldman, & Enns, 2010).
A strong influence on food choices, various media channels including television, print, in-school marketing,
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movie cross-marketing, and web-based media show advertisements of sugar-sweetened beverages and foods
high in fat, sugar, and sodium aimed at children (Sobal & Bisogni, 2009; Powell et al., 2011; Harrison & Marske,
2005; Story & French, 2004; Speers, Harris, & Schwartz, 2011). According to a recent Federal Trade
Commission Report, the food and beverage industries spent 1.79 billion dollars in 2009 on advertising products
to youth, using varied techniques to entice children who, in turn, influence their parents to purchase these foods
("pester power") (Story & French, 2004; Ustjanauskas et al., 2010; Schwartz & Ustjanauska, 2012; Federal
Trade Commission, 2012).
Literature on the effects of these advertisements (on television in particular) on children's short-term food
choices has grown in the past decade (Nestle, 2006; McGinnis, Gootman, & Kraak, 2006; Hasting, McDermott,
Angus, Stead, & Thomson, 2006; Halford, Boyland, Hughes, Oliveira, & Dovey, 2007). Although an association
between obesity in children and their exposure to food advertising has not been established (Salinsky, 2006),
recent studies do suggest that children are more likely to request and choose foods that are advertised (Jones &
Kervin, 2010; Arnos, 2006).
Evidence suggests that adults are also influenced by food advertisements (Harris, Bargh, & Brownell, 2009).
Limited research suggests that food advertisements in parenting magazines do not reflect the United States
Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) dietary guidelines for children (Manganello, Clegg Smith, Sudakow, &
Summers, 2012). The USDA's guidelines call for in-season fruits and vegetables, protein-rich foods, dairy
products, and grains, with servings varying by age. The number of empty calories (those from added sugars
and/or solid fats) should be limited depending on age, gender, and level of physical activity (USDA, 2011;
USDA, 2013).
With these guidelines and the potential impact of children's food advertisements on parents in mind, our study's
aim was to assess the type and prevalence of food and beverage advertisements, and nutritional quality for
certain products advertised, in two popular parenting magazines. Parents and Parenting are widely read with a
combined circulation of approximately 4 million and a combined readership estimated at over 20 million (GfK
Mediamark Research and Intelligence, 2012).
2. Methods
2.1 Sample
Our sample consisted of 116 issues from two popular parenting magazines, Parents (n = 60) and Parenting (n =
56) from January 2007 to December 2011/January 2012. The sampling frame included all issues over this
five-year period; in four cases, December and January issues were combined by the publisher. It should be noted
that in February, 2009, parenting magazine split into two separate magazines. At this point we began coding
Parenting Early Years. This study was deemed not human subjects research by the Institutional Review Boards at
both William Paterson University and Lehman College.
2.2 Coding
A coding sheet was created using food categories from the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard
Reference (USDA, 2013b). From this highly detailed database, we selected food categories that were pertinent to
the study, e.g. baked goods, sweets, snacks, and dairy products. For the USDA category of “Dairy,” we sought
more specificity by creating subcategories including cheese, yogurt, and milk (1%, 2%, whole) to facilitate
coding. For other USDA categories such as “snacks,” “sweets,” “baked products,” and “beverages” we included
detailed food lists based on the database. To code and analyze nutritional quality of cereals, we referred to the
Cereal FACTS Report developed by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity (Cereal
F.A.C.T.S, 2012). The report assigns children’s cereals a score based on total calories and mix of ingredients
including fiber, sodium, and sugar (Cereal F.A.C.T.S, 2012b). Using the Cereal FACTS rankings by overall
nutrition as a guide, we divided the list of 43 cereals in half, creating two discrete categories of ratings: “healthy”
and “less healthy” (Cereal F.A.C.T.S, 2012b).
Page counts were taken for each magazine. We included all advertisements barring pull-out promotions as these
were not considered magazine content. Buying guides or products endorsed by the magazine were not
considered advertisements and therefore were not counted as such. Special circumstances such as multiple-page
advertisements were counted as one advertisement.
2.3 Data Analysis
Prior to data collection, we pilot tested our instrument on 10 issues (5 of each magazine). The pilot testing
consisted of creating and refining our coding sheet’s advertisement categories which we based on the frequency
of ads shown in the magazines (appearing five or more times). For this study, the category of infant formula was
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excluded from coding as this was addressed in a prior paper (Basch, Shaffer, Hammond, & Rajan, 2013). The
coding sheet was primarily based on a prior study of parenting magazines (Basch, Hillyer, & Basch, 2013) and
was adapted for more in-depth coding of food advertisements. Magazines used in pilot testing were not included
in our sample.
The total number of advertisements for each food category was calculated across the five-year study period. The
proportion (%) of each food category relative to total number of food advertisements was also calculated (across
five years and for each individual year). Numbers were compared to identify trends in food category
representation over the five-year study period. All calculations were made using Microsoft Excel Version 12.
Intra-rater reliability was assessed in a random selection of 10 percent (n = 12) of magazines. There was 99%
accuracy in replicated results.
Descriptive statistics were used to describe the prevalence of products in each food group for each year of the
study period. A One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was conducted to identify differences in the prevalence
of different food advertisements across the 5-year period. Chi-square statistics were done to compare the
proportion of advertisements related to healthy and unhealthy foods during the study period. Independent t-tests
were run to identify if there were significant changes in the trends of advertisements between healthy and less
healthy foods.
3. Results
Table 1 summarizes proportion of food products advertised in Parenting and Parenting magazines from 2007 to
2012 coded by categories adapted from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Of the
total number of advertisements during this period (n = 19,879), 10.6% were food-based advertisements (n =
2101). One-third (32.5%, n = 682) were for baked food items (e.g. tortillas, crackers, waffles), snacks (e.g. beef
jerky, potato chips, fruit rolls), and sweets (e.g. candy, ice cream, pudding). Non-alcoholic beverages (water,
juice, cocoa and carbonated beverages including soda) accounted for over 11% of the food-based advertisements
(n = 240). Among these, fruit juices accounted for over 68% (n = 164). For our study, we did not differentiate
between unsweetened and sweetened fruit juices as the advertisements did not always clearly state this. Water
and soda represented 9% (n = 22) and 10% (n = 24), respectively, of the non-alcoholic beverages.
Table 1. Proportion (%) of food products coded by categories adapted from The USDA National Nutrient
Database for Standard Reference as advertised in Parenting and Parenting magazine from January 2007 to
December 2011-January 2012
Food Category (N=2101) Proportion of Food Advertisements (%, n)
Baked food products 16.5% (346)
Soups and sauces 10.2% (215)
Sweets 9.3% (195)
Juice 7.8% (164)
Snacks 6.7% (141)
Meals and entrees 6.6% (139)
Milk 6.2% (131)
Cereal grains and pasta 5.8% (121)
Spices and herbs 3.6% (76)
Poultry products 3.3% (70)
Beef products 3.2% (67)
Breakfast cereals, unhealthy 2.5% (53)
Baby foods 2.0% (42)
Fruits 1.8% (38)
Nuts and seeds 1.6% (33)
Yogurt 1.6% (33)
Breakfast cereals, healthy 1.4% (29)
Cocoa 1.4% (30)
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Soda 1.1% (24)
Pork products 1.1% (23)
Cheese 1.0% (21)
Vegetables 0.8% (16)
Alcohol 0.7% (15)
Lamb, game and legume products 0.5% (11)
Restaurant foods 0.2% (4)
Other dairy products 0.1% (2)
Dairy products comprised 9% of the food advertisements and included milk (6.2%, n = 131), yogurt (1.6%, n =
33), and cheese (1.0%, n = 21). Another 8% represented meat including poultry (3.3%, n = 70), beef (3.2%, n =
67), and pork (1.1%, n = 23).
Prepared foods such as meals, entrees, and restaurant foods accounted for almost 7% of the food advertisements
(n = 143). Soups and sauces also made a significant contribution representing over 10% (n = 215) of the foods
advertised. Fewer than 3% of advertisements were for fresh fruits and vegetables (n = 54). These included 38
advertisements for fruits and 16 for vegetables. Only 1.6% were devoted to nuts and seeds (n = 33).
Breakfast cereals accounted for less than 4% of the food-related advertisements (n = 82) with almost two-thirds
(64.6%, n = 53) categorized as “less healthy.” Cereals coded as “less healthy” were higher in sugar and sodium
and lower in fiber than those coded as “healthy.”
Table 2 represents trends in annual representation of different food categories as a proportion (%) of the total
food advertisements for each year. Although the combined representation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds
more than doubled to 4.9% in 2010 and 7.5% in 2011 in comparison with 1.2% in 2007, the increases were
meager as compared with baked goods which plateaued at more than one-third of the advertised foods. Among
other food categories, there were no significant trends across the five-year study period. A one-way ANOVA
confirmed no significant difference in the sale of different products over the study period (p>0.05).
When the products advertised were categorized as “healthy” and “less healthy,” the prevalence of advertisements
devoted to “less healthy” foods (such as unhealthy breakfast cereals, baked products, snacks, restaurant foods,
meals and entrees, juices, sodas and meats) was substantially greater than the proportion of advertisements
geared towards the healthier options such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, healthy breakfast cereals, nuts and
seeds. However, results of a t-test indicated no statistically significant difference in the trends of advertisements
for healthy and less healthy foods during the study period (p > 0.05).
Table 2. Proportion (%) of annual representation for different food product categories advertised in Parenting
and Parenting Early Years magazines from January 2007 to December 2011-January 2012
Combined Food Categories Annual Proportion (%) of Food Advertisements For Each Year
2007(N= 511) 2008(N=474) 2009(N=384) 2010(N=386) 2011(N=346)
Baked products, snacks and sweets 35.8 28.3 26.0 36.0 36.4
Breakfast cereals, grains and pasta 8.8 10.5 6.3 13.5 9.2
Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds 1.2 1.5 7.6 4.9 7.5
Dairy 9.6 10.5 7.8 8.3 7.5
Meat and legumes 2.2 10.8 12.0 8.3 9.0
Meals/entrees and restaurant foods 7.6 11.2 8.9 1.6 3.2
Soups and sauces 10.4 7.6 11.7 11.1 11.0
Spices and herbs 2.7 5.9 5.5 1.8 1.7
Water 1.4 0.6 1.6 1.6 0.0
Non-alcoholic beverages (except
water), includes juice and soda 10.2 7.2 8.3 8.8 10.4
Alcohol 1.2 1.3 0.0 0.5 0.3
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4. Discussion
This study’s findings are noteworthy for several reasons. Baked foods, snacks, and sweets accounted for the
highest percentage of advertisements. These products are generally refined, high in added sugars and fats, and
low in fiber. Fruit and vegetable advertisements were disproportionately low despite these food choices being
excellent, low-calorie sources of fiber, vitamins, and phytonutrients. In a study of advertisements in six parenting
magazines across four months, similar findings were noted (Manganello et al., 2012). Soups and sauces were the
third highest food category advertised to parents, according to our data. The CDC has ranked soups fifth among
ten leading sources of sodium (CDC, 2012c). According to Yang et al. (2012), high blood pressure risk among
children is associated with sodium intake. This risk is even greater for obese youth.
There was an inadequate representation for products rich in vitamin D and calcium, nutrients essential for
optimal bone growth in children. Observational studies suggest that replacing milk with carbonated drinks high
in phosphates may be associated with decreased bone mass and increased risks for fractures (Calvo, 1993;
Heaney & Rafferty, 2001). It is vital that the elevated nutritional requirement for calcium and vitamin D are
fulfilled, particularly during puberty, in order to attain bone mass and prevent early onset of osteoporosis (Mesias,
Seiquer, & Navarro, 2011).
We also observed few advertisements for breakfast cereals; of those, significantly more were coded as “less
healthy.” Eating a healthy breakfast is critical for optimal nutrition in childhood. Research suggests that not
eating a healthful breakfast can result in inadequate nutrient intake that may not be compensated for throughout
the day (Nicklas & O’Neil, 2004). A study by Schwartz, Vartanian, Wharton and Brownell (2008) reported that
66% of children’s cereals did not meet the national nutrition standards. Our findings are similar showing that,
across the five-year period, 64.6% of the advertised breakfast cereals were identified as “less healthy” suggesting
an urgency for marketing practices to be redirected towards cereals of better nutritional quality (Cereal
F.A.C.T.S., 2012b).
We noted no significant trends in food advertising over the five-year period. This finding should be examined in
the context of the childhood obesity epidemic. Public health efforts at the national, state, and local levels to
address this problem have been numerous and include raising public awareness of the importance of a nutritious
diet. Examples are healthier food options in school cafeterias and widespread efforts like First Lady Michelle
Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. Local efforts are exhibiting positive results as well. New York City’s Green Cart
Initiative, improved vending machine standards, and chain restaurant calorie counts have been well-received as
measures to reduce obesity (The New York City Obesity Task Force, 2012). The lack of significant advertising
trends towards more healthful options in parenting magazines suggests that companies marketing food products
through this medium are not readily joining this effort to reduce childhood obesity. This is especially troubling
given the aims of these magazines to provide “honest, real-world advice,” “impact the growth and development
of future generations,” and “advocate continuously and tirelessly for children” (Bonnier Parenting Media Kit,
2013; Parenting Media Kit, 2013; Parents Media Kit, 2013).
This study’s limitations include a small sampling frame and excluding other magazines in circulation that cover
parenting content. Additionally, although the data collection instrument was developed by the team of authors,
only one was responsible for coding the food products. Finally, our study included five years’ worth of
magazines; had we included a ten-year sample, significant trends may have been noted.
Despite these limitations, our study addresses an important gap in current literature. Using the National Library
of Medicine, we used “parenting,” “parents,” “magazines,” and “food advertisements as key terms to identify
papers related to food advertisements and parenting magazines. We then searched reference lists in the identified
papers to further identify other relevant studies. We identified no other studies that analyzed multi-year trends in
food advertisements in parenting magazines. Because the circulation of the magazines we analyzed is over four
million (GfK Mediamark Research and Intelligence, 2012), we can assume that many parents, presumably
prescribing to these magazines for months, or even years, are exposed to these food advertisements. How these
advertisements affect parents’ purchasing behavior is unclear in the public health literature, but one qualitative
study noted that parents were unaware of tactics used in food marketing. Nor were they aware of the deleterious
effects these ads may have on children (Ustjanauskas et al., 2010).
This study offers insight into the prevalence and type of food and beverage advertisements found in two popular
U.S. based parenting magazines. Future studies are necessary to determine the impact these advertisements have
on parents’ purchasing behaviors. Practically, this is an opportune time for nutrition educators to consider
developing and implementing health education interventions that highlight marketing strategies of advertisers.
Given high readership of these magazines and consequent exposure to food and beverage advertisements,
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particularly for products like baked goods, snacks and sweets, it is essential to provide parents accurate
information and strategies to become educated consumers. Aiding parents in understanding the nutritional value
of foods typically advertised and promoting self-efficacy in making healthful food purchases for their families is
of critical importance.
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... breakfast cereal) (e.g. Basch, Hammond, Ethan, & Samuel, 2014;Kelly & Chapman, 2007;Kelly, Halford, & Summerbell, 2010;Pitts, Burke, & Adams, 2014). With these limitations in mind, this investigation seeks to add nuance to the evaluation of health claims in magazine food advertising and to apply a critical lens when addressing the advertising industry for potential inaccuracies in claims being made. ...
... Since the Kellogg's study, scholars have continued to assess food advertising and its potential impact on behavior and purchase intent. In a more recent content analysis of breakfast cereals advertised in parenting magazines, Basch et al. (2014) found about 65% to be low in nutritional quality. However, this study did not assess claims as part of their design, leaving readers to speculate as to the frequency of health claims made for the mostly unhealthy cereals being advertised. ...
... There have been some attempts to code the healthiness of food ads in a variety of contexts that led to the development of the current study. In a recent content analysis, Basch et al. (2014) coded the health value of breakfast cereal advertised, but assessed only a limited range of magazines (i.e. two parenting magazines) and did so by classifying the cereal broadly as either "healthy" or "unhealthy." Two other studies classified foods advertised broadly as "healthy vs. unhealthy," focusing cross-culturally on television ads (Kelly et al., 2010), and magazine ads in Australia (Kelly & Chapman, 2007). ...
Article
This paper used Fooducate product ratings to evaluate the healthiness of food products being advertised in 15 U.S. magazines over a 1-year period (N = 623 food products), and compared those ratings across product categories, magazine genres, types of claims, and the presence of endorsement seals. Novel food rating apps like Fooducate offer scholars the ability to credibly assess food products in analyses of media content. In line with the academic grading scale where “A” is excellent and “D/F” is poor/failing, results indicate an average grade of approximately a “C+” (M = 2.57; SD = 0.80). Products in the ingredient, beverage and food pyramid categories received the highest scores, whereas foods high in fat/sugar, dietary supplements, and prepackaged meals scored significantly lower. Of the five magazine genres explored, health and food magazines featured the healthiest foods while fashion and women’s magazines featured the least healthy. In addition, products making health claims were significantly healthier than products without such claims, supporting their accuracy. Finally, advertisements with endorsement seals had the highest health ratings of any category assessed. Implications based on previous work in food advertising research are discussed, such as the benefit of including this topic in adult nutrition literacy initiatives.
... Food advertising is considered an environmental determinant of health, having a significant influence over our food choices and preferences [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Indeed, research in Canada and other high-income countries suggests the majority of food advertising on television [8,22,23], in digital media [17,[24][25][26][27], print media [8,11,12,[28][29][30][31] and in outdoor advertising [8,11,12,[32][33][34], particularly media channels or settings targeting children, promote unhealthy foods such as fast food, sweetened breakfast cereals, candy, desserts, sugary beverages and salty snack foods [8,17,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Several systematic reviews have concluded that exposure to food advertising greatly influences children's food and beverage preferences and consumption behaviour, pressure exerted on parents to purchase promoted products, and the nutritional health of children and adolescents [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. ...
... Food advertising is considered an environmental determinant of health, having a significant influence over our food choices and preferences [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Indeed, research in Canada and other high-income countries suggests the majority of food advertising on television [8,22,23], in digital media [17,[24][25][26][27], print media [8,11,12,[28][29][30][31] and in outdoor advertising [8,11,12,[32][33][34], particularly media channels or settings targeting children, promote unhealthy foods such as fast food, sweetened breakfast cereals, candy, desserts, sugary beverages and salty snack foods [8,17,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Several systematic reviews have concluded that exposure to food advertising greatly influences children's food and beverage preferences and consumption behaviour, pressure exerted on parents to purchase promoted products, and the nutritional health of children and adolescents [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. ...
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Background Food and beverage advertising has been identified as a powerful determinant of dietary intake and weight. Available evidence suggests that the preponderance of food and beverage advertising expenditures are devoted to the promotion of unhealthy products. The purpose of this study is to estimate food advertising expenditures in Canada in 2019 overall, by media and by food category, determine how much was spent on promoting healthier versus less healthy products and assess whether changes in these expenditures occurred between 2016 and 2019. Methods Estimates of net advertising expenditures for 57 selected food categories promoted on television, radio, out-of-home media, print media and popular websites, were licensed from Numerator. The nutrient content of promoted products or brands were collected, and related expenditures were then categorized as “healthy” or “unhealthy” according to a Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) proposed by Health Canada. Expenditures were described using frequencies and relative frequencies and percent changes in expenditures between 2016 and 2019 were computed. Results An estimated 628.6millionwasspentonexaminedfoodandbeverageadvertisinginCanadain2019,withtelevisionaccountingfor67.7628.6 million was spent on examined food and beverage advertising in Canada in 2019, with television accounting for 67.7%, followed by digital media (11.8%). In 2019, most spending (55.7%) was devoted to restaurants, followed by dairy and alternatives (11%), and 492.9 million (87.2% of classified spending) was spent advertising products and brands classified as “unhealthy”. Fruit and vegetables and water accounted for only 2.1 and 0.8% of expenditures, respectively, in 2019. In 2019 compared to 2016, advertising expenditures decreased by 14.1% across all media (excluding digital media), with the largest decreases noted for print media (− 63.0%) and television (− 14.6%). Overall, expenditures increased the most in relative terms for fruit and vegetables (+ 19.5%) and miscellaneous products (+ 5%), while decreasing the most for water (− 55.6%) and beverages (− 47.5%). Conclusions Despite a slight drop in national food and beverage advertising spending between 2016 and 2019, examined expenditures remain high, and most products or brands being advertised are unhealthy. Expenditures across all media should continue to be monitored to assess Canada’s nutrition environment and track changes in food advertising over time.
... Beyond adults' exposure to advertisements in general, adults who are parents specifically are subjected to unhealthy food advertisements in particular. In a content analysis of 19,000+ advertisements from two prominent U.S. parenting magazines, 32.5% of the advertisements were for baked goods, sweets, and snacks, and 64.6% of the cereal ads were for low-nutrition cereals (13). ...
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Introduction Much of the research on the effects of food advertising has been focused on children and adolescents; however, adults may also be influenced. Prior research has also shown that exposure to food advertisements have impacted the consumption behaviors of adults. The purpose of this study is to explore (1) the differences in perceptions toward and trust in food advertisements between racial/ethnic population subgroups; and (2) the associations between perceptions toward food advertising and the consumption of energy-dense, nutrient poor (EDNP) foods among adults using data from a national data set ( n = 1,535). Methods Data from the National Cancer Institute’s Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) survey were utilized in this secondary data analysis study. We conducted one-way ANOVAs to evaluate demographic subgroup differences within advertising trust and perceptions, and utilized bivariate and multivariable linear regression models to examine associations between (1) the perceptions toward and trust in food advertisements between racial/ethnic population subgroups; and (2) the associations between perceptions toward food advertising and the consumption of EDNP foods, while controlling for sociodemographic factors. Results Results show significant differences between racial/ethnic groups on advertising perceptions ( F = 8.59, p < 0.0001). Planned contrasts show that there was a statistically significant and meaningful difference ( p = 0.04) between Non-Hispanic Blacks (mean = 2.85) and Non-Hispanic Whites (mean = 2.52) for trust in food advertising. Regression analyses show that as positive perceptions toward food advertising increase among adults, there is an increase in daily frequency of consumption of EDNP foods and drinks (𝛽 = 0.15, p < 0.0001). This pattern was similar for trust in food advertising (𝛽 = 0.13, p < 0.0001). Discussion Given that previous studies have shown that ethnic minority groups, particularly Non-Hispanic Blacks, are more likely to be exposed to unhealthy food advertisements across various types of media, such as TV, billboards, and in grocery stores, it is possible that Non-Hispanic Black adults have greater trust in food advertising because of the increased environmental exposure to advertising through various channels of communication. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exposure to food advertisements is linked to consumption of the foods found in those advertisements. Our results provide some initial empirical support for the cognitive mechanisms of how exposure to food advertising may contribute to consumption. Developing advertising literacy interventions to inoculate against the cognitive impacts of food advertising may be a viable strategy to limiting consumption of EDNP foods.
... Of a special scientific interest are social networking sites which are commonly daily used and associated with increased odds of skipping breakfast and consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and energy drinks (5). Another negative effect of media following on obesity prevention may derive from the advertisements directed towards energy-dense, nutrient-poor food (6,7). The absence of advertising for unhealthy food on TV would bring normal weight to one in seven up to one in three obese children in the US (8). ...
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Background The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of TV, magazines, radio, and internet following on body mass index (BMI) and obesity-related literacy among adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the subjects were recruited from an outpatient center in the city of Sombor, Serbia during Mar–Apr 2013. We collected data by a questionnaire from 657 (397 women; 59%) subjects, aged from 18 to 87 yr (Mean = 45; SD =14). The questionnaire consisted of personal data, body height and weight, frequency of television, radio, magazines and internet following and personal opinion on the impact of smoking, alcohol consumption, stress and physical inactivity on obesity. Results Spearman’s rank correlation analysis showed that BMI increased with longer TV viewing with a very weak strength of the correlation (r=0.104; P=0.009) and decreased with more internet following with a weak strength of the correlation (r=−0.200: P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that only internet use had a significant independent effect on BMI. The frequency rise of internet following from “rare” to “often” and “every day” decreased BMI by 0.5 per each grade. Internet followers showed a significantly better knowledge of the importance of smoking (P = 0.003), alcohol consumption (P<0.001) and physical inactivity (P=0.004) for obesity in comparison to non-followers. Conclusion Internet is the only media that independently and positively influence weight control and the literacy on obesity among adults.
... In a few years, all the protein and vitamin-packed puddings and candies and soft-drinks developed at government expense for the breakfast program will spill out onto the market shelves "[139]. Today, there is little doubt that marketing calorie and sugar-dense breakfast products (most notably, cereals) towards parents and their children is a multi-billion-dollar investment on the part of global corporations[140][141][142]. Marketing investments in sugary breakfasts pay off handsomely for manufacturers, with research showing clear lines between ad exposure and greater childhood consumption[143]. ...
Article
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Recognizing the importance of nutrition as part of the grand challenges faced by humanity—the current epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), sustainability and maintenance of Planetary Health—the United Nations (UN) has declared 2016–2025 the Decade of Nutrition. Research continues to underscore the extent to which ultra-processed foods dominate the contemporary nutritional landscape. Moreover, the dual role played by food technology and marketing in the expansion of ultra-processed foods is under increased scrutiny. As public health experts and clinicians contend with a crisis of NCDs, attempting to untangle a knotted assortment of interrelated strands of causation, an examination of the early origins of highly-marketed ultra-processed foods can provide valuable lessons. Here, we illuminate a little-known piece of history in the annals of ultra-processed nutritional science and childhood welfare. Astrofood was a commercially-marketed, collaborative government-industry effort that brought soy protein-enriched Twinkies as a nutritive breakfast cake to disadvantaged children; its concept and delivery demonstrated an unwillingness to deal with root-cause challenges. Although its official tenure was only about 7 years, we argue that Astrofood and its total food engineering still resonate throughout the global ultra-processed nutritional landscape. New scientific advances in nutritional psychiatry and the microbiome are on a collision course with the profits, marketing and intellectual dishonesty of the ultra-processed food industry. Solutions to the grand challenges of the Decade of Nutrition may be found in lessons from Astrofood. They provide clues to undoing the tangled knots which otherwise maintain an untenable status quo.
... Products for children are prevalently marketed in parenting magazines. Advertisements for products range from foods and beverages (Basch,, Hammond, Ethan, & Samuel, 2014) to infant formula, toothpaste and skin products ( Basch, Hillyer, & Basch, 2013; Basch, Shaffer, Hammond, & Rajan, 2013). Recent market research suggests that while some magazines are losing a subscription base, parenting magazines are one of the few magazine genres that have increased their readership (Audited Media Research and Data, 2014). ...
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More than a third of children and adolescents in the United States take vitamins even though professional medical organizations do not endorse their use in healthy children. Regardless of their efficacy, children’s vitamin products are aggressively promoted. Therefore, the goal of this study was to describe and analyze advertisements related to vitamins in the following three popular parenting magazines, Parents, Parenting Early Years, and Parenting School Years. A total of 135 magazines across four years were reviewed. There were 207 advertisements for children’s vitamins, all in the form of chewy or gummy. None of these advertisements included a dosage or a warning. Almost all (92.3%) included a cartoon in the advertisement. Almost a quarter (23.2%) of the advertisements promoted their product with the theme of prevention and more than half (51.2%) included the theme of peace of mind. Parenting magazines are a popular medium for providing exposure to products geared towards children. Companies that market children’s vitamins in these magazines can increase awareness among parents of the risks by providing warning and dosage information in their advertisements. Magazines can also play a role by encouraging responsible marketing and providing editorial content on children’s vitamins and potential consequences of pediatric overdose.
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Background: Nutritionally poor foods are heavily advertised to children on television. Whether those same products are also advertised to parents on television has not been systematically examined. Methods: This study is a content analysis of advertisements for children's packaged foods and beverages aired over US network, cable, and syndicated television for 1 year (2012 to 2013). The target audience of each advertisement was defined as children or parents based on advertisement content, where parent-directed advertisements included emotional appeals related to family bonding and love. Advertisement characteristics and patterns of airtime were compared across target audience, and the proportion of total airtime devoted to advertisements targeting parents was computed. Results: Fifty-one children's food or beverage products were advertised over the study year, 25 (49%) of which were advertised directly to parents. Parent-directed advertisements more often featured nutrition and health messaging and an active lifestyle than child-directed advertisements, whereas child-directed advertisements more frequently highlighted fun and product taste. Over all products, 42.4% of total airtime was devoted to advertisements that targeted parents. The products with the most amount of airtime over the study year were ready-to-eat cereals, sugar-sweetened beverages, and children's yogurt, and the proportion of total advertisement airtime for those products devoted to parents was 24.4%, 72.8%, and 25.8%, respectively. Discussion: Television advertisements for children's packaged foods and beverages frequently targeted parents with emotional appeals and messaging related to nutrition and health. Findings are of concern if exposure to such advertisements among parents may shape their beliefs about the appropriateness of nutritionally questionable children's foods and beverages.
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Magazines focused on parenting are popular in the United States, and parents may use them to guide decisions about the health of their children. We analyzed issues of 2 popular parenting magazines published in the past 11 years during the months of peak ultraviolet radiation exposure for content related to sun protection and for advertisements for skin products that did and did not contain sun protection factor. Only 24 of 2,594 articles addressed the topic of sun protection for skin cancer prevention. Although advertising is pervasive in these magazines, the extent to which such advertising focuses on products with sun protection factor was low. These findings suggest that parenting magazines can do more to assist parents in making informed decisions about preventing skin cancer risk among youth.
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To assess the association between usual dietary sodium intake and blood pressure among US children and adolescents, overall and by weight status. Children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years (n = 6235) who participated in NHANES 2003-2008 comprised the sample. Subjects' usual sodium intake was estimated by using multiple 24-hour dietary recalls. Linear or logistic regression was used to examine association between sodium intake and blood pressure or risk for pre-high blood pressure and high blood pressure (pre-HBP/HPB). Study subjects consumed an average of 3387 mg/day of sodium, and 37% were overweight/obese. Each 1000 mg per day sodium intake was associated with an increased SD score of 0.097 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.006-0.188, ∼1.0 mm Hg) in systolic blood pressure (SBP) among all subjects and 0.141 (95% CI: -0.010 to 0.298, ∼1.5 mm Hg) increase among overweight/obese subjects. Mean adjusted SBP increased progressively with sodium intake quartile, from 106.2 mm Hg (95% CI: 105.1-107.3) to 108.8 mm Hg (95% CI: 107.5-110.1) overall (P = .010) and from 109.0 mm Hg (95% CI: 107.2-110.8) to 112.8 mm Hg (95% CI: 110.7-114.9; P = .037) among those overweight/obese. Adjusted odds ratios comparing risk for pre-HBP/HPB among subjects in the highest versus lowest sodium intake quartile were 2.0 (95% CI: 0.95-4.1, P = .062) overall and 3.5 (95% CI: 1.3-9.2, P = .013) among those overweight/obese. Sodium intake and weight status appeared to have synergistic effects on risk for pre-HBP/HPB (relative excess risk for interaction = 0.29 (95% CI: 0.01-0.90, P < .05). Sodium intake is positively associated with SBP and risk for pre-HBP/HPB among US children and adolescents, and this association may be stronger among those who are overweight/obese.
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The prevalence of childhood obesity increased in the 1980s and 1990s but there were no significant changes in prevalence between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008 in the United States. To present the most recent estimates of obesity prevalence in US children and adolescents for 2009-2010 and to investigate trends in obesity prevalence and body mass index (BMI) among children and adolescents between 1999-2000 and 2009-2010. Cross-sectional analyses of a representative sample (N = 4111) of the US child and adolescent population (birth through 19 years of age) with measured heights and weights from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2010. Prevalence of high weight-for-recumbent length (≥95th percentile on the growth charts) among infants and toddlers from birth to 2 years of age and obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile of the BMI-for-age growth charts) among children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years. Analyses of trends in obesity by sex and race/ethnicity, and analyses of trends in BMI within sex-specific age groups for 6 survey periods (1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2003-2004, 2005-2006, 2007-2008, and 2009-2010) over 12 years. In 2009-2010, 9.7% (95% CI, 7.6%-12.3%) of infants and toddlers had a high weight-for-recumbent length and 16.9% (95% CI, 15.4%-18.4%) of children and adolescents from 2 through 19 years of age were obese. There was no difference in obesity prevalence among males (P = .62) or females (P = .65) between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. However, trend analyses over a 12-year period indicated a significant increase in obesity prevalence between 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 in males aged 2 through 19 years (odds ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10) but not in females (odds ratio, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98-1.07) per 2-year survey cycle. There was a significant increase in BMI among adolescent males aged 12 through 19 years (P = .04) but not among any other age group or among females. In 2009-2010, the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents was 16.9%; this was not changed compared with 2007-2008.
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Marketing of infant formula contributes to a decreased likelihood to breastfeed. This study established the prevalence of infant formula advertisements in two popular US parenting magazines and explored trends in infant formula advertisement prevalence from 2007 to 2012. Advertisements were analyzed using a comprehensive coding schematic. We established a high proportion of 0.43 advertisements per page of content in both magazines and observed a significant increase in infant formula advertisement prevalence beginning in 2009. Infant formula companies use aggressive marketing in parenting magazines. Nurses who are well-trained in breastfeeding best practices can offer new mothers evidence-based information on the benefits of breastfeeding.
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To examine trends in children's exposure to food-related advertising on television by age, product category, and company. Nutritional content analysis using television ratings data for 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009 for children. Annual age-specific television ratings data captured children's exposure to broadcast network, cable network, syndicated, and spot television food advertising from all (except Spanish-language) programming. Children aged 2 to 5 and 6 to 11 years. Main Exposure Television ratings. Children's exposure to food-related advertising on television with nutritional assessments for food and beverage products for grams of saturated fat, sugar, and fiber and milligrams of sodium. Children aged 2 to 5 and 6 to 11 years saw, respectively, on average, 10.9 and 12.7 food-related television advertisements daily in 2009, down 17.8% and 6.9% from 2003. Exposure to food and beverage products high in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium fell 37.9% and 27.7% but fast-food advertising exposure increased by 21.1% and 30.8% among 2- to 5- and 6- to 11-year-olds, respectively, between 2003 and 2009. In 2009, 86% of ads seen by children were for products high in saturated fat, sugar, or sodium, down from 94% in 2003. Exposure to unhealthy food and beverage product advertisements has fallen, whereas exposure to fast-food ads increased from 2003 to 2009. By 2009, there was not a substantial improvement in the nutritional content of food and beverage advertisements that continued to be advertised and viewed on television by US children.
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Adolescence is an important period of nutritional vulnerability due to increased dietary requirements for growth and development and special dietary habits. Calcium needs are elevated as a result of the intensive bone and muscular development and thus adequate calcium intake during growth is extremely important to reach the optimum peak bone mass and to protect against osteoporosis in the adult age, a major public health threat whose incidence is increasing in Western countries. However, most children and adolescents worldwide fail to achieve the recommended calcium intake. The hormonal changes associated with the pubertal period promote greater mineral utilization, which needs to be satisfied with suitable calcium consumption. Diet, therefore, must contribute nutrients in sufficient quality and quantity to allow maximum bone mass development. Consequently, adolescents should be educated and encouraged to consume adjusted and balanced diets that, together with healthy lifestyles, enable optimal calcium utilization.