When shopping at the grocery store, you will see tons of drinks marketed for kids. They are easy to consume, easy to throw into a lunchbox, and they are likely to have your child’s favorite characters on them. But they are also probably high in sugar and low in nutrition.
This is the latest news out of a study published last Wednesday in PLOS One Journal.
The Study
The study looked at 6000 packaged foods and analyzed their marketing strategies and their nutritional content. Lead study author. Dr. Christine Mulligan, post-doctoral researcher and research consultant in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto weighed in on the results.
“There are many products in our grocery stores that are powerfully marketed and heavily targeted to children. Unfortunately, we also found that these products are, more often than not, very unhealthy and of worse nutritional quality than products that aren’t being promoted to children.”
Dr. Maya Adam, director of health media innovation and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Stanford School of Medicine was not involved in the study. She brought up the fact that companies like to appeal to children who often grow up to be “brand-loyal” adults.
“As adults, around the world, we take extra precautions when it comes to our children. We buckle them into car seats and make sure they wear helmets. When it comes to packaged foods, the food industry is doing the opposite; promoting less healthy foods to the most vulnerable members of society.”
She also pointed out that the study only looked at how products appealed to children in terms of their packaging. She noted that children are being exposed to these products in multiple ways. Through social, media, sports practice, community centers, and even at schools.
“This is important for readers to understand, because seeing all of this marketing is impacting how children eat, and the poor dietary habits that kids are developing will carry forward throughout their lives and impact their health in the long term,” she said.
How to Overcome the Branding and Increase the Nutrition
Mulligan suggests that governments take steps to regulate branding so people are more aware of how children’s products can negatively affect health. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is calling for the inclusion of all types of marketing to raise awareness on various levels.
In the meantime, people can do their part by cooking more at home to control the amount of fat, sugar, and salt in their children’s food. Adam also recommends that adults discuss branding and nutrition with their children so they can see how companies use marketing to influence their choices. Get your children involved in grocery shopping so they can make their own healthy choices.
How will you be protecting your child from marketing that may cause them to make the wrong nutritional choices?
