Today’s youth face a startling reality: their lifespan may be shorter than their parents’, chiefly due to health issues stemming from excessive junk food intake. With over 39 million overweight children under 5, the obesity crisis escalates rapidly. Yet, amidst various factors, one often overlooked contributor is the pervasive influence of junk food marketing.

Facts About Junk Food Marketing

Promoting and advertising unhealthy, highly processed, and nutritionally poor products is the essence of junk food marketing. While not directly promoting obesity, it fosters a strong desire for such products, shaping dietary preferences.

Children and adolescents, lacking cognitive skills to discern marketing intent, are prime targets. Marketers exploit this vulnerability to cultivate future consumers. This shift prompts the adoption of novel approaches and strategies, with fast food chains splurging over $5 billion on advertising to this demographic in 2019, according to CyberGhost’s post.

Children today spend the majority of their time in the digital realm, connecting with peers beyond parental supervision. Corporations capitalize on this by advertising to children wherever they frequent online. A 2009 study revealed that 11 to 14-year-olds spent approximately one hour and 46 minutes online daily. Virtually every food brand targeting children maintains dedicated websites featuring games, virtual worlds, and other captivating interactive content, making resistance difficult for youngsters.

Additionally, youths encounter advertisements while engaging with friends on social media platforms. Whether through display ads on platforms like Facebook or notifications indicating friends’ endorsements of brands like Doritos and Pepsi, adolescents inadvertently aid companies in their promotional endeavors by promoting products they enjoy, essentially offering free marketing assistance.

Children are exposed to extensive digital advertising, particularly on social media platforms promoting foods and beverages. In 2012, Facebook alone hosted six billion fast food ads. Brands like Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Subway ranked high in popularity, amassing over 23 million “likes.” Coca-Cola led in social media following, with a 174% increase in Facebook likes since 2011, while Pepsi saw a 600% rise on Facebook and 30-fold increase on Twitter from 2011 to 2014.

Junk Food Marketing in the US and UK

United States

The US leads globally in food obsession but ranks 12th in obesity rates. Over 80% of food ads promote fast food, sugary drinks, and snacks, with a $10 billion yearly marketing spend, overshadowing the government’s $1 billion for healthy lifestyle promotion. Studies reveal targeting of vulnerable demographics, especially low-income families and minority communities. Black children are exposed to 21% more ads than White peers, reflecting increased Spanish advertising budgets. Marketing often misinforms, using celebrity endorsements and linking junk food with entertainment, exacerbating obesity rates. Some ads prioritize brand memorability over product promotion, exemplified by the Paris Hilton Carl’s Junior ad. These tactics have led to bans in countries like New Zealand, the UK, and Australia. Such strategies fuel obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, compounded by adolescents’ difficulty resisting junk food despite awareness of its health risks. Continuous exposure normalizes unhealthy eating habits, shaping children’s food norms.

United Kingdom

Since 2020, the UK government aimed to halve child obesity by 2030, yet no concrete actions have materialized. Despite pledges such as restricting junk food ads online and on TV before 9 p.m., proposed bills face delays. Consequently, obesity rates soar while pleas for intervention intensify. Junk food brands profit amidst this inertia, spending over $190 million annually on advertising, dwarfing government efforts. Children are bombarded with junk food ads, with online exposure skyrocketing from 700 million in 2018 to 15 billion in 2019. Socioeconomically disadvantaged families bear the brunt, as areas with more poverty host more fast food outlets, offering cheap, unhealthy options that perpetuate poor eating habits, particularly among children.

How parents can protect kids from junk food marketing?

Many parents express helplessness, perceiving marketing as ingrained in culture, and doubting food companies will heed their concerns. Nonetheless, parents possess means to shield children from marketing’s adverse impact within their households and neighborhoods.

Inside Home

Initiate the talk

Engage in conversations with your kids about food advertising, helping them understand its intent. Studies suggest children under eight can’t discern marketing’s bias, trusting what they see. For instance, if a sugary cereal ad portrays fun, they believe it. You might relate to the grocery store scenario: a child pleading for a product while a parent reluctantly yields to avoid conflict. Marketers call this “pester power” and actively promote it, believing it’s effective. When your child asks for an advertised item, explain your reasons for not purchasing it, highlighting the persuasive tactics used by advertisers.

Get rid of televisions, computers and other displays from bedrooms.

Studies indicate that placing a TV in a child’s room escalates their daily screen time by one to two hours, elevating the likelihood of weight gain by 31% while diminishing time allocated for reading, sleeping, and leisure activities. Moreover, youth engagement with smartphones, computers, and tablets also contributes to excessive screen exposure. Enforcing a curfew on these devices and relocating them from your child’s room at a designated time can help manage screen time effectively.

Modifications at School

Discover your child’s food marketing exposure in school.

Around 70% of primary and secondary students are exposed to food-related marketing within school premises. In 2009, food companies allocated approximately $149 million for marketing in schools, mainly through contracts selling foods not included in the school meal program. Beverages, notably soda, accounted for about 93% of this expenditure. Products marketed to students typically contain an average of 19 grams of added sugar. Marketers view schools as prime venues to reach children easily. Stay vigilant about food marketing at your child’s school, from branded fundraisers to company-sponsored materials and events. If you’re concerned, discuss with other parents and explore healthier fundraising options like fruit baskets and talent shows. Schools must have a wellness policy addressing food marketing, offering opportunities to participate in its formation.

Final Thoughts

Junk food marketers wield significant influence over children’s dietary choices through digital strategies, despite their disregard for long-term health effects. This global issue demands collective action beyond national efforts. Countries like the US, UK, and EU are implementing various measures, from advertising bans to community initiatives like France’s EPODE. However, effectiveness varies, highlighting the need for coordinated international responses. Stricter regulations on digital advertising, alongside global marketing standards, are crucial. Additionally, raising public awareness and educating about junk food’s impact is vital. Collaborative efforts among governments, health organizations, educators, and parents are essential for a healthier future.