The Role of Food Marketing on Childhood Obesity

1. The Role of Food Marketing on Childhood Obesity NUTR 547 - Nutrition Update Summer 2006 David L. Gee, PhD http://www.happymeal.com/cars/

2. The Economics of Food MarketingReport on Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity. FTC & DHHS, 2005 • $900 billion • annual sales of the food, beverage, and restaurant industries • Total marketing = $??? • $11 billion for advertising • $5 billion for TV advertising • Other marketing routes • product placement • character licensing • special events • in-school activities • adver-games

3. The Economics of Food MarketingReport on Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity. FTC & DHHS, 2005 • Advertising to children • between 1994-2004, the rate of increase in the introduction of new food products targeting children substantially outpaced the rate for targeting the total market • Estimated $10 billion spent on marketing foods to children • Children and youth spend $200 billion annually • influence many good purchases beyond those they make directly

4. When Children Eat What They Watch: Impact of Television Viewing on Dietary Intake in Youth.J Wiecha et al, Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2006; 160:436-442 • Design • prospective observational study over 9 months • measures of youth diet, physical activity, television viewing • Subjects • 548 students in 4 Boston public schools (avg age = 11.7y) • Results • each hour of TV viewing associated with additional 167 Cal • each hour of TV viewing associated with increased consumption of foods frequently advertised

5. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • 1977 • Action for Children’s Television and Center for Science in the Public Interest • petition FTC to halt TV commercials for candy and sugary snack foods directed at children • 1978 • FTC issues staff report • “television advertising for any product directed to children who are too young to appreciate the selling purpose of, or otherwise comprehend or evaluate, the advertising is inherently unfair and deceptive” • “it is hard to envision any remedy short of a ban adequate to cure this inherent unfairness and deceptiveness”

6. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • 1978-1979 • FTC holds public hearings • proposed ban on all TV advertisements targeting young children • Proposed ban for sugary snack foods aimed at older children • TV networks, ad agencies, food & toy companies oppose the FTC’s proceedings • attempt to stop hearings • lobbied Congress to prevent FTC from using funding to address children’s television • filed lawsuit against FTC

7. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • 1980 (prior to FTC acting on children’s TV advertising) • Congress passes FTC Improvement Act of 1980 • FTC allowed to regulate on case-by-case basis • FTC barred from issuing industry-wide regulations • 1981 • FTC concludes that only effective remedy would be total ban, but this would end children’s TV programming • FTC agrees to regulate on case-by-case basis • Industry initiates voluntary self-regulation • Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) • 1990 • FTC limits commercials to 10.5 min/hr on weekends and 12min/hr weekdays during children’s programming • codified the industry norm

8. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • From 1980-2004, overweight rates in children triple • 2005: FTC holds workshop on marketing practices that might promote obesity • FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras reassures industry at the beginning of workshop that • the FTC would not take any regulatory action • “A government ban on children’s food advertising is neither wise nor viable.”

9. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • May 2006: FTC & DHHS release Report on Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity. • Key Findings from evidence review • Strong evidence: TV advertising influences in children ages 2-11 • food & beverage preferences • food & be& beverages purchase requests • short-term consumption • Moderate evidence: • food & beverage beliefs • usual dietary intake • Evidence insufficient for teens

10. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • May 2006: FTC & DHHS release Report on Food Marketing and Childhood Obesity. • Recommendations: • Industry should…promote and support more healthful diets for children… • If voluntary efforts … are unsuccessful… Congress should enact legislation mandating the shift (to healthier foods) on both broadcast and cable TV.

11. History of Regulation of Food Marketing to Children • On the same day, Commercial Alert (national nonprofit organizations that “protects children and communities from commercialism”) issues statement: • “Today’s FTC-HHS report is a candy-coated present to the junk food industry…The report merely recommends more self-regulation, which has historically been a dismal failure.” • “The FTC-HHS report represents another fat payback to the food industry for its generous support for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign.”