The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for stricter regulations to limit harmful food marketing targeting children, yet few countries have implemented such laws. The food industry has introduced self-regulation programs like the United States Voluntary Children Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), which promotes healthier options in child-focused programming. Nonetheless, children aged two to eleven are still exposed to nearly 4,000 food-related ads annually that promote products high in trans fats, saturated fats, salt, and sugars. This exposure underscores the need for research into the effects of such advertising, particularly on minority and lower socioeconomic groups.
Researchers assessed changes in food and beverage advertising, focusing on products high in nutrients to limit (NTL), such as trans fats, saturated fats, salt, and sugars. They examined the impact of the 2020 CFBAI nutrition criteria updates on advertising patterns. The study analyzed exposure to food-related ads over time, specifically noting shifts in the proportion of high-NTL food commercials in both child and non-child programming.
Data was gathered from Nielsen ratings and included exposure from various media sources, including cable and broadcast networks. Nutritional data for advertised products were sourced from manufacturer websites, grocery labels, and food databases. Sensitivity analyses explored exposure variations based on different child-audience thresholds.
From 2013 to 2022, children’s annual viewership of food ads decreased significantly—by 78% for ages two to five and 79% for ages six to eleven. Pediatric programming saw a dramatic drop in food ads, with reductions of 95% and 97% respectively. Despite these reductions, non-pediatric programming accounted for 80-90% of food ad exposure by 2022. High-NTL food advertising remained prevalent, with 69% of ads across all programming and 64% for younger children promoting these unhealthy items. Notably, Black children had higher exposure to food commercials compared to White children, although this gap has narrowed over time.
The reduction in pediatric exposure to food ads from 5,000 to 1,000 annually from 2013 to 2022 is significant, yet non-pediatric programming still largely contributes to children’s exposure to unhealthy food advertisements. Government-imposed restrictions on food advertising, based on time slots rather than programming type, could help mitigate diet-related health disparities among minority children by reducing their exposure to harmful food ads.