PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds

2013-12-18
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez
smcginn@uic.edu
312-996-8277
University of Illinois at Chicago
TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds

The nutritional value of food and drinks advertised on children's television programs is worse than food shown in ads during general air time, according to University of Illinois at Chicago researchers.

The study is published in the December issue of the journal Childhood Obesity.

Using Nielsen TV ratings data from 2009, UIC researchers examined children's exposure to food and beverage ads seen on all -- both adult and children's -- programming. It also looked at the nutritional content of ads on children's shows with a child-audience share of 35 percent or greater, the first study to do so.

The researchers assessed the nutritional content of products advertised -- cereals, sweets, snacks, beverages and other foods -- and whether they fit the proposed voluntary nutrition guidelines recommended by the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children. The proposed federal guidelines, a joint effort of the Federal Trade Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would limit saturated fat, trans fat, added sugars and sodium, due to their potential negative effects on health or body weight.

The study also noted which ads were from food companies that pledged to promote healthier products to children or to refrain from targeting children in their advertising, under the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative. CFBAI began in 2006 and currently includes 16 companies that signed on, but also set their own nutritional criteria for foods advertised to children.

"We found that less than half of children's exposure to ads for food and beverage products comes from children's programming, meaning that a significant portion of exposure is not subject to self-regulation," said Lisa Powell, professor of health policy and administration in the UIC School of Public Health and lead author of the study.

The researchers found that more than 84 percent of food and beverage ads seen by children, ages 2 to 11, on all programming were for products high in fats, sugars and sodium. On children's programming, more than 95 percent of ads were for products high in those unhealthy contents.

Nearly all CFBAI ads seen on children's programming failed to meet recommended federal nutrition principles; more than 97 percent were for products high in fats, sugars and sodium.

While many foods made by CFBAI companies meet federal nutrition guidelines, the study suggests that the companies choose to market less-nutritional products to children more heavily.

"The self-regulatory effort has been ineffective so far," Powell said.

The CFBAI has proposed new, uniform nutrition criteria for member companies beginning Dec. 31, to replace the varying nutrition standards set by each company currently.

The new study serves as a benchmark to determine if the new, common CFBAI nutrition criteria will improve the content of products marketed to children, said Powell, who also serves as associate director of UIC's Health Policy Center of the Institute for Health Research and Policy.



INFORMATION:

Co-authors are Rebecca Schermbeck and Frank Chaloupka of UIC. The study was supported by grants from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (award 11IPA1102973), the National Cancer Institute (award R01CA138456) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the Bridging the Gap program.

For more information about UIC visit http://www.uic.edu



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior

2013-12-18
Supercomputers help ORNL researchers identify key molecular switch that controls cell behavior VIDEO: Watch the flipping conformations in a pair of phenylalanine ...

DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle

2013-12-18
DNA motor 'walks' along nanotube, transports tiny particle WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Researchers have created a new type of molecular motor made of DNA and demonstrated its potential by using it to transport a nanoparticle along the length of a carbon nanotube. The design ...

CHOC researchers identify technique to reduce childrens' post-op pain after high-risk surgery

2013-12-18
CHOC researchers identify technique to reduce childrens' post-op pain after high-risk surgery Study shows encouraging results for improving postoperative pain management and reducing the need for pain medicine after major pediatric urology procedures Orange, Calif. ...

EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen

2013-12-18
EGF receptor ecto-domain mutations: When to screen and when not to screen The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is expressed in normal colonic cells and is activated by specific peptide growth factors that regulate cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. ...

Hubble watches super star create holiday light show

2013-12-18
Hubble watches super star create holiday light show This festive NASA Hubble Space Telescope image resembles a holiday wreath made of sparkling lights. The bright southern hemisphere star RS Puppis, at the center of the image, is swaddled in a gossamer ...

World Health Organization study: Atrial fibrillation is a growing global health concern

2013-12-18
World Health Organization study: Atrial fibrillation is a growing global health concern LOS ANGELES (Dec. 17, 2013) – Atrial fibrillation, long considered the most common condition leading to an irregular heartbeat, is a growing and serious global health ...

Study: Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system

2013-12-18
Study: Moderate alcohol consumption boosts body's immune system PORTLAND, Ore. — Medical science has known for years that people who drink moderate amounts of alcohol actually have a reduced risk of death. In general, they are healthier and have better cardiovascular ...

Muscle-invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancers arise from different stem cells

2013-12-18
Muscle-invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancers arise from different stem cells 'Knowing the risk can help doctors and patients make informed treatment decisions,' researcher says Bladder cancer will kill upward of 170,000 people worldwide this year, ...

New hypertension guidelines offer practical, clinical information for doctors and patients around the globe

2013-12-18
New hypertension guidelines offer practical, clinical information for doctors and patients around the globe Presented by the American Society of Hypertension Inc. and the International Society of Hypertension High blood pressure affects approximately ...

Spiders partial to a side order of pollen with their flies

2013-12-18
Spiders partial to a side order of pollen with their flies Spiders may not be the pure predators we generally believe, after a study found that some make up a quarter of their diet by eating pollen. Dr Dirk Sanders of the University of Exeter demonstrated ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Young females more likely to experience higher social anxiety due to excessive smartphone use than other genders

New research boosts future whooping cough vaccines

Mechanistic understanding could enable better fast-charging batteries

No bones about it: new details about skeletal cell aging revealed

UNM scientists discover how nanoparticles of toxic metal used in MRI scans infiltrate human tissue

UMaine research examines best methods for growing Atlantic sea scallops

Medical cannabis could speed recovery, especially at community recovery homes

Study assesses U.S. image amid weakening of democracy

Two scientific researchers to receive 2025 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health

Researchers improve chemical reaction that underpins products from foods to fuels

Texas Tech to develop semiconductor power devices through $6 million grant

Novel genomic screening tool enables precision reverse-engineering of genetic programming in cells

Hot Schrödinger cat states created

How cells repair their power plants

Oxygen is running low in inland waters—and humans are to blame

ACP’s Best Practice Advice addresses use of cannabis, cannabinoids for chronic noncancer pain

Beyond photorespiration: A systematic approach to unlocking enhanced plant productivity

How a small number of mutations can fuel outbreaks of western equine encephalitis virus

Exposure to wildfire smoke linked with worsening mental health conditions

Research uncovers hidden spread of one of the most common hospital-associated infections

Many older adults send their doctors portal messages, but who pays?

Fine particulate matter from 2020 California wildfires and mental health–related emergency department visits

Gender inequity in institutional leadership roles in US academic medical centers

Pancreatic cells ‘remember’ epigenetic precancerous marks without genetic sequence mutations

Rare combination of ovarian tumors found in one patient

AI-driven clinical recommendations may aid physician decision making to improve quality of care

Artificial intelligence has potential to aid physician decisions during virtual urgent care

ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine present breaking scientific news at ACP’s Internal Medicine Meeting 2025

New study reveals polymers with flawed fillers boost heat transfer in plastics

Signs identified that precede sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in young people

[Press-News.org] TV ads nutritionally unhealthy for kids, study finds