Health & Fitness Blog

Imagine this: kids around the world are sitting in front of the TV viewing food commercials to the tune of more than five per hour. Most of those commercials are for sugary foods, fast food, and other high-calorie items, each of which can contribute to childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity and excessive weight is a national problem. The National Center for Health Statistics show that 17 percent of children are overweight. Further, overweight children quite often become overweight adults. They have an elevated risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and certain cancers, among other ailments and diseases. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the problem may be that American society has become “obesogenic,”. This is defined by situations and environments that boost increased consumption of food, unhealthful foods, and a sedentary lifestyle.

According to researchers at the University of California-Davis, who evaluated the types of food commercials seen by children who watch English- and Spanish-language TV programs. During high viewing times for children (Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons). Recordings were made of programs on twelve networks, including children’s cable channels, networks that attract older youths, mainstream English-language channels, and the two highest rated Spanish language channels.

An aggregate of 5,724 commercials were recorded. Of these, 1,162 were food-related. Children were shown an average of 5.2 food related commercials per hour. Of these commercials, more than 70 percent were for unhealthful items (foods with increased sugar and/or excessive fat content), which contribute to childhood obesity. Thirty-four percent of the commercials were for fast-food restaurants and convenience items.

The highest percentage of food-related commercials were seen on children’s networks, where the commercials were primarily for sugary cereals and sweets, high-fat foods, fast-food restaurant fare, and snacks. Compared with programming for a generalized audience, children’s TV exposed its watchers to 76 percent more food advertisements per hour than the other networks. Children that watch TV on a children’s network during Saturday morning from 7 to 10 AM observe approximately one food commercial every eight minutes.

Older kids continue to be exposed to unhealthful food commercials. The researchers observed programming such as the music videos offered by BET and MTV. They found that 80 percent of the MTV food commercials were for fast food restaurants, sugary beverages, and sweets.

The authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, wrote that “Study after study has documented the adverse health effects of food advertising targeting children and adolescents.” They continued to say that “School- and family-based programs that have attempted to reduce children’s media use have shown promise.” Yet because kids are exposed to food advertisements via other media, especially the Internet, the authors propose the creation of “nutrition-focused media literary interventions” to help young people translate the economic motives of food advertisers and the techniques the industry uses to increase market for their products. These campaigns, along with others, may help slow down the growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

Here is your free guide to healthful cooking. For more information about some of the causes of childhood obesity visit Facts About Childhood Obesity.