Is advertising fattening?

The influence of food commercials on children and adolescents

J. M. Diehl, Giessen

As in other industrialized countries, for many German children watching TV is one of their favourite leisure time activities. Since private channels are clearly preferred, the young viewer is exposed that way to a great number of ads promoting food containing much sugar and/or fat.

According to nutrition education and health policy, children are prompted by these commercials to consume the recommended products to an unhealthy and fattening extent. Food advertising is seen as one of the major causes for the increasing obesity prevalence in children and adolescents.

An analysis of the empirical evidence at hand does not provide much support for this suspicion, however. While obesity became “epidemic” during the last 10 years, childrens’ daily hours of TV watching remained remarkably constant during this time period. It can be regarded as proved that advertising campaigns for new, modified or existing foods are able to increase (or to hold) the market share of these products.

But it lacks evidence that the overall consumption level of confectionery, sugared foods and drinks or snacks (rich in fat) is elevated by food advertising. Many studies were unable to find a significant connection between the extent of TV watching and the child’s weight status.

In most cases, overweight children and adolescents did not consume more of the products heavily advertised than their leaner peers. And there is experience from Canada and Sweden that restricting or banning food advertising directed to children entirely fails to reduce the obesity rates in the young age group.

Keywords: Advertising / food commercials / obesity / children / adolescents

Sie finden den Artikel in deutscher Sprache in Ernährungs-Umschau 02/05 ab Seite 40.