TV Ads and Childhood Obesity
Pulling the plug on some food ads might reduce childhood obesity.
British researchers analyzed TV ads for high-fat, sugary and salty foods and beverages in the U.K. The conclusion? The number of children ages 5–17 who are overweight or obese in the country would decrease by 3.6% and 4.6%, respectively, if such commercials were not permitted to be aired between 5:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.
The team, writing in PLOS Medicine, said this the equivalent to 40,000 fewer kids who would be obese and 120,000 fewer who would be classified as overweight resulting in a multi-billion-dollar health-related monetary benefit.
It’s worth noting that kids now consume media from a range of sources, including online and on-demand services. It would be important to ensure that this advertising restriction is applied to a range of platforms so if TV ads for junk food decreases that it doesn’t just increase online as advertisers aim to compensate.
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
