Advertising for Children

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how the prevalence of childhood obesity and related health issues have convinced many legislators and health professionals that food advertising to children is at least partly to blame. The paper relates that children view more commercials aimed at getting them to choose fast food, unhealthy food and sweet foods than nutritious and healthy food. This is apparent in current ads for chocolate milk, cookies, microwavable french fries and a host of other foods that are tantalizing to children. The paper demonstrates how the advertising industry seeks to make money for their clients, not protect consumers, and until that mentality changes, Americans and their children will continue to be bombarded with advertising that is geared to sell hamburgers rather than encourage a new generation of healthy eaters.

From the Paper:

"Throughout the past two decades, scientists and researchers have conducted many studies on children's advertising. They found the four most advertised items were toys, cereal, candy, and fast food (Gunter, Oates & Blades 15). A 1999 study found that out of 350 Saturday morning television advertisements, two-thirds were for food children would be attracted to, and the most common was some type of sugary cereal product (Gunter, Oates & Blades 17). Another 1997 study on children and food advertising found "The typical child sees 170 McDonald advertisements on television per year. In 1997, more advertising money $1.4 billion was spent on commercials for food and food products than any other product type" (Johnson, and Young 276). Food is big business, and so is appealing to the tastes of American children."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Anderson, Patricia M., Kristin F. Butcher, and Phillip B. Levine. "Economic Perspectives on Childhood Obesity." Economic Perspectives 27.3 (2003): 30+.
• Editors. "Resolution on Food Advertising & Marketing to Children." TACD.org. 13 Jan. 2004. 28 Feb. 2006.< http://www.tacd.org/docs/?id=220 >
• Gunter, Barrie, Caroline Oates, and Mark Blades. Advertising to Children on TV: Content, Impact, and Regulation. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005.
• Johnson, Melissa D., and Brian M. Young. "Chapter 13: Advertising History of Televisual Media." The Faces of Televisual Media: Teaching, Violence, Selling to Children. Ed. Edward L. Palmer and Brian M. Young. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003. 265-281.
• Higgins, Marguerite. "No Ban on Food Ads for Children." The Washington Times 15 July 2005: C09.

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