Food Marketing for Kids: A Threat to Childrens Health - Essay Example

20 March Food Marketing for Kids: A Threat to Children’s Health In the modern day, where the advent of technology has elevated media advertising to a highly competitive level, business organizations are investing heavily on media ads to attract new customers. Children’s food and beverage is a highly profitable market segment and, therefore, companies in the F&B industry are vying with one another to attain a competitive edge over the others. On the other hand, advertisements in the present day offers children an unlimited viewing pleasure as they contain adventurous and magical themes that fascinate the imagination of kids across the world. Thus, children tend to fall prey to the lure of ads and they imagine that eating or drinking the product promoted through the ad can make them like the characters portrayed in it. Thus, they insist on having the food or beverage that is advertised in this manner, without being actually conscious of the effects such food can have on them. Thus, food marketing for kids today has become a significant health hazard for them as most of the food and beverages that are being marketed in the present day are unhealthy for children and make them prone to diseases like obesity. Advertisers primarily target children because though they do not have the purchasing capacity, they do possess the potential to significantly influence the purchasing decisions of their parents. In the case of teenagers, most are having adequate disposable money with them, which enable to buy the F&B items they like to consume. Advertisers also view children as the future market because in future they will become the adult customer. Most of the firms in the F&B industry are promoting food items that are rich in calories, sugar, fat etc apart from preservatives and colors that pose threat to children’s health. Similarly, while boiled and baked potato is nutritious, when it is used as French fries, it becomes a risk for health. In addition, the processing methods and certain additives make the food unhealthy. Thus, firms in the F&B industry, which are merely driven by profit motive, are engaging in unethical advertising practices and risking the health of children. Establishments like the World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the significance of this issue and in coalition with other groups in different nations have called for stringent “regulation of advertising via media” (Heller et al 16). Research evidence further suggests that the “nutrient profile” being advertised in the media ads contains “no or minimal amounts” of the contents they claim (18). In addition, the researcher has also collected primary data through questionnaires to obtain explorative and conclusive evidence. The information gleaned from the interview, which is appended as Annexure-I, also reveals that misleading ads are a concern among parents and they feel that such ads play a vital role in promoting obesity in the country. The questionnaire has been aimed to emulate responses from parents. From the reply it transpires that kids watch a lot of ads on TV and they remain influenced by them. Their food habits also depend on products that such ads promote. Thus, they indulge in consuming these products without having any understanding of the effects or problems associated with such foods and beverages. Parents remain concerned with the eating habits of children that cause obesity in them but they are rather coerced by the children into buying the products for them. Adolescences like famous personalities and want to grow as like them, so the advertisements like Beverages drank by famous personalities like actors, sports person had created more impact among them. On the other hand, teens aspire to become a role model portrayed by the media ads. The media exploit this weakness in young adult by getting the products endorsed by some celebrity that commands the respect of children. The celebrities endorse the products, which create an impression in the teenagers that by using the product they can also emulate the traits that are unique to the celebrity. Media ads also tend to create a specific brand culture and young adults blindly follow the trends being promoted by the ads. Thus, they ignore the aspect of their personal health and go blindly after what they consider as being in vogue at the moment. Some of the advertisement misleads the teenagers into believing that certain beverages boost up energy levels instantly, which have strong impact among male teenagers who dream of muscular physique and a macho image. On the other hand, ads that target females try to promote some drinks as equivalent to a healthy meal that will help them in reducing body weight and maintaining a lean figure. However, none of these products have any such qualities in reality but they mislead the teenagers into their alluring trap. Similarly, fried food items are released in various sizes of packing, in many shapes and colors and also in a variety of combination of spices and flavors. This allows teenagers to choose and buy items from a wide range of selection as per their needs and the money they can spare. Different kind of choices and easy access made the children to purchase more. Whenever they feel for a break, or any combined activity is going on they tend to use Fried items and beverages and also they took it in a large quantities. While watching Television they tend to use the fried items and also they do not know that how much quantity they are in-taking. These kinds of sedentary work and large amount of high calorie food taken leads to obesity. Advertisements target the teens and released bigger size of packing; termed as party pack etc. and also they use techniques like who want to become international standards or to become a member of high society have to use the branded items. Kids taking fast food only in lesser percentage compared with Teens. They have a chance to taste fast food only during outings like shopping, week end trip etc. School students have more chance comparing kids, they consume fast foods at schools and Friend’s birthday party and other parties too. But Teens have more chances, every day they are going out and consuming fast food. They always consume food items advertised by mass media rather than food items prepared at home. This habit leads obesity and unhealthy conditions. Advertisement has created a passion like teens should take fast food items like pizza, noodles, and ice-creams etc. Those who do not like fast food items had been excluded from group activities. It forces them to take these items whether they prefer to take it or not. Advertisements offer things that taste well and also good for our health It creates knowledge about existing and latest yummy foods and sweets. It gives the best tips about what to drink and eat. Eating habit recommended by advertisement make me chubby. It entertains me much, watching Television without food and drink advertisement would be boring. It gives an attitude to eat everything on the plate, even they are not hungry The behavior of sitting in-front of television and taking high calorie drink without much physical work leads obesity among kids. Habit of skipping regular food items is a main reason for unhealthy children; in future it develops an unhealthy society will cause major destruction for the nation. Teens are more exposed by advertisement and they tend to skip regular food items is a main cause for unhealthier next generation. Obesity of children leads to many physical disorders especially diabetes and blood pressure at an earlier stage, it will affect their younger generation too at the stage of child birth itself. So, the government has to take corrective actions in this regard, already some arrangements have been made like Alliance for a Healthier Generation – in which agreements established between government and company’s regarding minimum nutritional requirements for milk products and snack foods sold in school and also Federal Trade Commission (FTC) makes regulatory effort. Works Cited Heller, Rebecca et al. Where’s the Fruit? Temporal Changes in Children’s Television Advertisements for “Fruit Containing” Foods. 2011. Journal of Media Communication Studies, Vol. 3(1). pp.16-21. 20 March 2013. Annexure-I Interview Data Sl No Questions Choice 1 Choice 2 Choice 3 1. Name of the parent Nancy 2. Occupation Grad student 3. Number of Children 1 Age group < 10 10 - 16 Above > 16 4. Kind of beverages preferred by children Natural fruit juice Bottled juices Canned juices 5. Fried items/Snacks Home-made items Purchased from local shops Branded items advertised by mass media 6. Why they prefer the selected item Taste Passion 7. Regular food items preferred by children Low calorie items (steamed items) Rich in calorie (fried items/baked items/ ice-creams etc) 8. Children prefer food items prepared at Home Hotels 9. Do you think food habit of your child is healthy Yes No 10. Kind of change expected in Child’s food habit ( not more than 100 words) Hopefully that when my daughter grows up she understand that I do not want her to eat unhealthy food because of her health. Now she is 4 years old she does not understand and she cries when I do not allow her to eat something and because I am very busy I just want her to stop crying and give her what she wants. I know this wrong but this is the fact Read More