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Professor Says Advertising Makes Kids Fat
PHIL VILLARREAL PHIL VILLARREAL, ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Posted Jan 7, 2010
Says 3 out of 4 products are low in nutrition
Dale Kunkel, University of Arizona communications professor, says
the food and beverage industry is exploiting children.
His study, "The Impact of Industry Self-Regulation on the
Nutritional Quality of Foods Advertised on Television to Children,"
found that nearly three-fourths of advertisements directed at kids
are for foods with the least nutrition.
Kunkel is in Washington, D.C., this week to present his study to
the Federal Trade Commission, which is holding a hearing on
advertising to children and its connection to childhood obesity. To
avoid stricter regulation, food and beverage companies have pledged
to advertise only healthful food to kids, but have failed in that
promise, Kunkel says.
"What the industry does is offer voluntary steps to basically
forestall governmental regulations," Kunkel said. "What we're doing
is holding them accountable."
Five main points from his study:
1. More than 72 percent of foods advertised on television to
children are known as "Whoa" foods, which are defined by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human services as foods that should be
eaten only on "special occasions, such as your birthday."
2. More than half of advertising using licensed characters are
for "Whoa" foods.
3. There is no uniform nutritional standard used by companies to
define what "healthy" means.
"The criteria vary substantially," Kunkel said.
4. Roughly 30 percent of food and beverage ads are from companies
that don't participate in the industry's self-regulation guidelines,
which are meant to keep foods geared to children relatively
healthful.
"Even if the industry was doing a good job, which it's not,
nearly a third . . . of the ads are from companies that don't
participate in self-regulation and have no restrictions at all on
sugar, salt, fat and calories."
5. Fruits and vegetables account for 1 percent of all ads
targeting kids.
For a link to Kunkel's study, go to azstarnet.com and click on
this story.
Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or
pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
On StarNet:View Dale Kunkel's study: publications.childrennow.org/
publications/media/adstudy _2009.htm
Date: Jan 7, 2010
© 2009 The Arizona Daily Star. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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