Information or Manipulation

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Information or Manipulation? Marketing Junk
Foods to Children
Dr. Dale Kunkel UC Santa Barbara
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Overweight Children in the U.S.
1980 2000
6-11 year olds
6.5 15.3
5.0 15.5
12-19 year olds
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Overweight Children in the U.S.
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Overweight Children in the U.S.

• 80 of overweight adolescents gt obese adults

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Overweight Children in the U.S.

• 80 of overweight adolescents gt obese adults
• Satcher (2001) predicted obesity would exceed
  smoking morbidity, but no public attention until
  2004

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Overweight Children in the U.S.

• 80 of overweight adolescents gt obese adults
• Satcher (2001) predicted obesity would exceed
  smoking morbidity, but no public attention until
  2004
• AAP - unprecedented burden on child health

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Medical Complications of Overweight Children

• Hypertension
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Respiratory ailments
• Orthopedic problems
• Sleep disorders
• Depression

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Medical Costs for Treating Obesity

• CDC estimates 75 billion in 2003

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Medical Costs for Treating Obesity

• CDC estimates 75 billion in 2003
• half of these costs are
• taxpayer funded

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Does TV Contribute to the Problem?
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Does TV Contribute to the Problem?

• Couch Potato hypothesis

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Does TV Contribute to the Problem?

• Couch Potato hypothesis
• Influence of junk food advertising

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Advertising on Childrens TV Programs
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Advertising on Childrens TV Programs

• Since 1970s, majority of ads consist of
  sugared cereals, candies, sodas, fast foods

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Advertising on Childrens TV Programs

• Since 1970s, majority of ads consist of
  sugared cereals, candies, sodas, fast foods
• New study (U. of Illinois) finds an average of
  gt10 food ads per hour in kids TV shows

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Fairness of TV Advertising to Young Children
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Fairness of TV Advertising to Young Children

• Perceptual discrimination

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Fairness of TV Advertising to Young Children

• Perceptual discrimination
• Understanding of persuasive intent

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Fairness of TV Advertising to Young Children

• Perceptual discrimination
• Understanding of persuasive intent
• Implications for Effects

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Policy History The Question of Fairness
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Policy History The Question of Fairness

• FTCs 1978 ban proposal

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Policy History The Question of Fairness

• FTCs 1978 ban proposal
• Congress rescinded authority (FTC Improvements
  Act of 1980)

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Policy History The Question of Fairness

• FTCs 1978 ban proposal
• Congress rescinded authority (FTC Improvements
  Act of 1980)
• The FTC itself concluded a clear problem exists

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The FTCs Conclusions(1981)

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The FTCs Conclusions(1981)

• Young children do not understand persuasive
  bias in TV advertising

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The FTCs Conclusions(1981)

• Young children do not understand persuasive
  bias in TV advertising

• They place indiscriminate trust in
• commercial messages

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The FTCs Conclusions(1981)

• Young children do not understand persuasive
  bias in TV advertising

• They place indiscriminate trust in
• commercial messages

• They do not possess the ability to
• adequately evaluate TV ads

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While the rulemaking record establishes that
child-oriented television advertising is a
legitimate cause for public concern, there do not
appear to be, at the present time, workable
solutions which the Commission can implement
through rulemaking in response to the problems
articulated (FTC, 1981, p. 2)
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Current Policy Options

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Current Policy Options

• Ban on all advertising targeting young
  children

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Current Policy Options

• Ban on all advertising targeting young
  children
• Ban on junk food advertising to children

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Current Policy Options

• Ban on all advertising targeting young
  children
• Ban on junk food advertising to children
• Increased restrictions on ad time/tactics

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Current Policy Options

• Ban on all advertising targeting young
  children
• Ban on junk food advertising to children
• Increased restrictions on ad time/tactics
• Fairness in food advertising to children

34
Information or Manipulation? Marketing Junk
Foods to Children
Dr. Dale Kunkel UC Santa Barbara