When was the last time you saw junk food advertised on TV? How about veggies? For junk food1, you probably answered, "The last time I watched TV with my child." For veggies, most likely you said, "Never."
Food Pyramid: "Junk food" is a term that refers to foods with high fat and/or sugar and few nutrients. However, healthy eating includes all foods in proportion to what you eat overall, not at any one meal or snack.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/ |
Driving these changes is the health crisis faced by today’s children. Many are flunking healthy eating and are physically inactive (see box below). This national epidemic is resulting in earlier onset and increased cases of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health problems.
Today, nearly one out of every five kids is overweight.2 :
- The number of children aged 6 to 11 years who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 20 years.
- For adolescents aged 12 to 19, the number has more than tripled.
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Consumer advocates, government, and industry are addressing food advertising as one of the variables contributing to the overweight trend. The shift in the balance of food advertising to children from junk food toward healthier options reflects efforts of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Institute of Medicine, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and others.
The FTC is gathering information from food marketers for a report to the U.S. Congress. In turn, food marketing companies are trying to respond to criticisms of ads. They have begun marketing potato chips, cookies, and other goodies in smaller portion packs, using healthier fats, and reducing sugar.
To avoid a lawsuit threatened by advocacy groups, one major manufacturer is phasing out advertising to children under age 12 unless the foods meet specific nutrition guidelines for calories, sugar, fat, and sodium.3 Other companies are adopting similar practices.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Education are working to increase the availability of healthy foods inside and outside school meal programs.4 For example, USDA sponsors Team Nutrition, which provides training and technical assistance for food service personnel, nutrition education for children and their care givers, and school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity.5
Top food companies have launched the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which identifies guidelines for the nutritional content of foods advertised during children’s programs.6 Some media companies have adopted these guidelines for foods associated with their names and characters.7
Parents and care givers can support the shift in the messages kids receive about food and help them learn about nutrition. You can monitor what children watch on TV and where they go on the Web. For related articles, see From Apples to Zucchini: Talk With Your Kids About Nutrition, Children and Obesity, Ads Linked to Unhealthy Habits in Kids, and Know What Your Child Watches on TV. The earlier the better is best for teaching a child about food and nutrition, but it’s never too late to start.
What Can You Do?
- Like so many aspects of raising a child, being a good role model is important. Eat healthy yourself.
- Avoid battles over food.
- Carefully read food labels to check nutrients and ingredients.
- Involve your child in food shopping, reading labels, and cooking.
- Help your child make healthy and fun snacks.
What Can You Say?
- Encourage your child to make responsible choices about food-the same way you talk with her about other choices, like doing homework and not using alcohol.
- Have a family discussion about how to replace junk food with more nutritious items.8
By introducing, practicing, and encouraging healthy eating habits, you can help your child have a healthier future. You'll also be helping yourself and every member of the family.
Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising to Children in the United States, sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation, is the largest study ever conducted of television advertising to children. 6 Its results are providing information to reduce childhood obesity. In addition, the study serves as a yardstick for measuring changes in the food marketing landscape. Among the findings are:
- Children between the ages of 2 and 17 years are seeing as many as 21 food ads a day on TV.
- One-third (34 percent) of food products in ads targeting children and teens were for candy and snacks; 10 percent were for fast food. None are for fruits or vegetables.
In a Discovery Channel study, Only 15 percent of ads depict a physically active lifestyle.7
Question: How Much Food Advertising Is My Child Seeing?
Answer: Children 2 to 17 years old are exposed to about 2½ minutes of food ads for every hour of television they watch. Over a year, this adds up to nearly 11 hours of ads for candy and snacks that the average 8- to 12-year-old sees each year. Cutting down on TV and encouraging kids to get more exercise is a healthy way to limit their exposure to ads and to improve their health as well.
Question: What exactly is junk food?
Answer: "Junk food" is a commonly used term meaning food which is by itself high in fat and processed sugar and low in vitamins, calcium, protein, and fiber. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends a diet higher in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, and lower amounts of sodium and calories from fat and refined sugar. (See http://www.mypyramid.gov/ ).
Teaching your child how to cook can help him learn about food choices and a healthy lifestyle. He can develop cooking skills to use throughout his life, and you both can to do something fun together. According to the American Dietetic Association, getting kids to participate is empowering for them and gives them more choices and control over what they eat.9
Cookbooks and cooking Web sites for parents and for kids abound. Many are geared to healthy eating, whether main dishes, sides, snacks, or desserts. One popular site, sponsored by the Kaboose Family Network, offers tips on how to raise a food-savvy kid and help him learn to love fruits and vegetables. The Food Network site for kids, provides kid-friendly recipes, video demos, and advice on how to encourage healthier eating.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Childhood Overweight.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. Steps to a Healthier You. Provides tips and tools for assessing, planning, and tracking food and physical activity choices.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Overweight and Obesity: Health Consequences.
Food and Drug Administration. The Power of Choice. Educational program to guide young adolescents toward a healthier lifestyle.
Nemours Foundation. KidsHealth. Doctor-approved source of health information about children from before birth through adolescence; age-appropriate information for kids, teens, and parents.
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