Food Marketing to Children and Youth Threat or Opportunity? (2006) / Chapter Skim
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7 Findings, Recommendations, Next Steps
7 Findings, Recommendations, Next Steps
Pages 373-388
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From page 373... ...
This report has summarized the status and trends in the health, diet, and eating patterns of children and youth; reviewed the various factors that influence the food and beverage consumption habits of children and youth; described how food and beverages are developed and marketed to children and youth; systematically reviewed the evidence on the influence of food and beverage marketing on the diets and diet-related health of children and youth; and described the policy instruments that may be combined to enhance availability and access to healthful foods and to support healthful food and beverage choices and marketing practices affecting children and youth. This chapter summarizes the findings included throughout the report and offers recommendations on ways in which various sectors could help improve the diets and health of children and youth.
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From page 374... ...
· Food and beverage companies, restaurants, and marketers have underutilized potential to devote creativity and resources to develop and promote food, bever ages, and meals that support healthful diets for children and youth. · Achieving healthful diets for children and youth will require sustained, multisec toral, and integrated efforts that include industry leadership and initiative.
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From page 375... ...
Approximately one-third or more of their calories are derived from foods purchased outside of the home, nearly one-half of which is obtained at restaurants and quick serve restaurants that contain higher fat content than food consumed at home. · Calorie intake by infants and toddlers substantially exceeds their estimated requirements, although validation is needed on the reliability of food intake reporting by parents and caregivers, as well as on body weight estimates.
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From page 376... ...
Brand loyalty is highest in teens for carbonated soft drinks and quick serve restaurants. FOOD AND BEVERAGE MARKETING TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH In multiple forms, media influences have assumed a central socializing role for children and youth.
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From page 377... ...
· Child-targeted food and beverage products have steadily increased over the past decade, and are typically high in total calories, sugars, salt, fat, and low in nutrients. · Television is the primary promotional medium for measured media marketing of food and beverage products to children and youth, but a notable shift is occurring toward unmeasured sales promotion (e.g., product placement, character licensing, in-school marketing, special event marketing)
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From page 378... ...
Without an empirically validated industrywide rating system and approach, efforts to use such graphic portrayals on food labels may fall short of their potential as guides to better food and beverage choices by children, youth, and their parents. · Certain food and beverage companies and quick serve restaurants with products prominently consumed by children are actively exploring more balanced and health-promoting product development and marketing strategies.
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From page 379... ...
· Given the findings from the systematic evidence review of the influence of marketing on the precursors of diet, and given the evidence from content analyses that the preponderance of television food and beverage advertising relevant to children and youth promotes high-calorie and low-nutrient products, it can be concluded that television advertising influences children to prefer and request high-calorie and low-nutrient foods and beverages. With respect to diets, food and beverage advertising on television has some influence on the dietary intake of children and youth: · There is strong evidence that television advertising influences the short-term consumption of children ages 211 years.
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From page 380... ...
· Most children ages 8 years and under do not effectively comprehend the persuasive intent of marketing messages, and most children ages 4 years and under cannot consistently discriminate between television advertising and programming. The evidence is currently insufficient to determine whether or not this meaningfully alters the ways in which food and beverage marketing messages influence children.
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From page 381... ...
RECOMMENDATIONS Reflective of the responsibilities of multiple sectors, the committee's recommendations address actions related to food and beverage production, processing, packaging, and sales; marketing practice standards; media initiatives; parents, caregivers, and families; school environments; and public policy. Recommendations are also offered for research activities necessary to chart the path of future improvements, and the monitoring capacity to track improvements in marketing practices and their influence on children's and youths' diets and health.
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From page 382... ...
· Engage the full range of their marketing vehicles and venues to develop and promote healthier appealing and affordable foods and beverages for children and youth. Recommendation 2: Full serve restaurant chains, family restaurants, and quick serve restaurants should use their creativity, resources, and full range of marketing practices to promote healthful meals for children and youth.
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From page 383... ...
· Work to foster collaboration and support with public-sector initiatives promoting healthful diets for children and youth. Marketing Practice Standards A reliable barometer of the commitment of the members of the food, beverage, and restaurant industries to promote the nutritional health of children and youth will be the rigor of the standards they set and enforce for their own marketing practices.
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From page 384... ...
Recommendation 6: Government, in partnership with the private sector, should create a long-term, multifaceted, and financially sustained social marketing program supporting parents, caregivers, and families in promoting healthful diets for children and youth. To implement this recommendation · Elements should include the full range of evolving and integrated mar keting tools and widespread educational and community-based efforts, including use of children and youth as change agents.
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From page 385... ...
· Adopt policies and best practices that promote the availability and marketing of foods and beverages that support healthful diets. · Provide visible leadership in this effort by public and civic leaders at all levels such as the National Governors Association, the state and local Boards of Education, and the National Parent Teacher Association, as well as trade associations representing private-sector businesses such as distributors, bottlers, and vending machine companies that directly interface with the school administration.
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From page 386... ...
Of particular importance are studies related to newer promotion techniques and venues, healthier foods and beverages and portion sizes, product availability, the im pact of television advertising on diet and diet-related health, diverse research methods that systematically control for alternative explana * See text at pages 349 and 262.
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From page 387... ...
Department of Education, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Com mission) in developing and implementing the required monitoring and reporting.
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From page 388... ...
Neither was the related, but vital, matter of physical activity, which is so inextricably a part of the challenge of childhood obesity. What the committee can contribute to the ongoing and imperative public policy questions raised by this challenge is to conclude, based upon a thorough and impartial review of existing scientific data, that the dietary patterns of our children and youth put their health at risk, that the patterns have been reinforced if not encouraged by prevailing marketing practices, and that the turnaround required will depend upon aggressive and sustained leadership from all sectors, including the food and beverage industries.
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