It Pays to Advertise: Junk Food Marketing to Children

Television advertisements aimed at children predominately feature unhealthy foods, often served in unhealthy settings. A diet composed of foods marketed to children on television would consist mainly of cereal, fast food and snacks eaten outside of normal mealtimes in large servings. Food marketing is pervasive in the lives of children and adolescents. Food and beverage companies spent $1.6 billion in 2006 to reach this important market. On television, online and even in schools, youth are regularly exposed to messages encouraging them to eat unhealthy foods, at a time when they need to establish healthy eating habits. One in three American children and adolescents is overweight or obese, conditions that contribute to poor health over their whole lifetimes. Restricting unhealthy food marketing to youth is one important step addressing this crisis.