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Low-nutrition product marketing linked to childhood obesity
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Unhealthy food and beverage marketing may increase dietary preferences that lead to energy-dense, low-nutrition products in young children shortly after exposure, according to results of a recent systematic review.
“There is increasing and consistent evidence that unhealthy food and beverage marketing directed at children negatively impacts their eating behaviors,” Behnam Sadeghirad, PharmD, MPH, a PhD student in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at McMaster University, and colleagues wrote. “The increasing prevalence of obesity seems to further coincide with marked increases in the food and beverage industry’s budget for marketing aimed at children and youth, with data showing that energy-dense, low-nutrient foods and beverages make up the majority of commercially marketed products.”
Sadeghirad and colleagues searched Medline, Embase and PsycInfo and pooled data from 26 randomized controlled trials to evaluate associations between low-nutrition food and beverage marketing and the intake of unhealthy foods for children aged 2 to 18 years (n = 5,814). In their meta-analyses, they compared the impact of unhealthy food and beverage advertising to nonactive control advertising — considered television programs or movies with toys and nonfood and beverage items. Seventeen studies were eligible for dietary analysis and nine for dietary intake; most were performed among North American children.
In six studies evaluating caloric intake, children (n = 665) were exposed to marketing for a mean time of 3.8 minutes, and the mean time they were given to consume food was 17.3 minutes. The pooled estimate showed a significant increase in caloric intake (30.4 kcals; 95% CI, 2.9-57.9) favoring exposure to unhealthy dietary marketing vs. nondietary marketing. Children exposed to more than 5 minutes (n = 222) of dietary advertising had less caloric intake than children exposed for no more than 5 minutes (n = 265), resulting in a difference in interaction (z = 2.8, P = .005). Subgroup analysis showed that an opportunity to eat unhealthy foods correlated with children who were given less than 15 minutes to eat, and those children had a higher caloric intake than those given longer to eat (z = 3.2, P =.001). The researchers wrote that further research is necessary to assess the impact of unhealthy food and beverage marketing on daily and weekly dietary intake and choices. They said, however, results of their analyses are indicative that a review of public policy on low-nutrition advertisements targeting children is necessary.
“Although results were nonsignificant with respect to food and beverage preferences, among 1,648 children exposed to energy-dense, low-nutrient products marketing, we found an increased risk of selecting advertised foods or beverages that were associated with a familiar licensed-character logos (moderate-quality evidence),” Sadeghirad and colleagues wrote. “Similarly, the food and beverage preference score among 2,053 children showed a nonsignificant increased risk (low-quality evidence).” – by Kate Sherrer
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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