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Minority youth targeted by unhealthy food advertising
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Companies selling fast food, candy, sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks frequently target black and Hispanic youth in their advertising efforts, according to a report issued by the University of Connecticut’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Researchers wrote that $1.1 billion in advertising in black-targeted and Spanish-language TV was spent by these companies in 2017.
Additionally, Jennifer Harris, PhD, MBA, director of marketing initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and colleagues observed that black children and teens were less likely to view advertisements for healthy food, snack and beverage options compared with white children and teens. Hispanic youth saw no advertisements for healthy products.
“Even though food companies are promising to encourage healthy choices and want to be part of the solution to the epidemic of poor diet, they are continuing to spend billions on advertising that almost exclusively promotes fast food, candy, sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks,” Harris told Infectious Diseases in Children.
Harris and colleagues examined the advertising strategies and spending of 32 companies between 2013 and 2017. Of 236 “highly advertised brands,” 36% targeted Hispanic consumers and 58% targeted black consumers. Approximately two-thirds of brands targeted both black and Hispanic consumers. The researchers found companies that spent the most on targeted advertising were fast food restaurants, including McDonald’s, Subway, Wendy’s and Taco Bell on Spanish-language TV; and Taco Bell, Domino’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and Arby’s on black-targeted TV.
Several youth-targeted brands also targeted black or Hispanic consumers, including products from companies participating in the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative: Campbell, General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo and McDonald’s.
Harris and colleagues wrote that approximately 20% of all food-related advertisements viewed by Hispanic children and teens on Spanish-language programming were for candy. When adjusting for differences in viewing times, black children and teens saw over 40% more candy ads compared with white children and teens.
Companies promoting healthy products such as juice, water, nuts and fruit spent only 3% of all food-related advertising costs in 2017. The researchers said these brands were less likely to advertise on black-targeted TV programming (1%) and did not advertise at all on Spanish-language TV.
“I think it is important for parents and caregivers to know what they are up against when they are trying to get their kids to eat healthy,” Harris said. “Teens know that the highly advertised products are not healthy, but they do not care about harming their health in 20 years. Pediatricians should be asking teens about their consumption of sugary drinks and fast food in particular and counseling them on cutting back.” – by Katherine Bortz
Resource:
Rudd Report: Increasing disparities in unhealthy food advertising targeted to Hispanic and black youth. http://uconnruddcenter.org/files/Pdfs/TargetedMarketingReport2019.pdf. Accessed January 14, 2019.
Disclosures: Harris reports no relevant financial disclosures.