Spanish Children Overexposed to Junk Food Ads on TV

11 Nov 2016 --- Spanish children are overexposed to TV ads promoting unhealthy food such as burgers, pizzas, soft drinks, chocolate and bakery, according to scientists from the UGR and the University Hospital San Rafael in Granada. The researchers claim the children are exposed both in generalist and children-oriented channels, something, which they believe, promotes childhood obesity.

The researchers worked to evaluate the changes experienced by Spanish TV between 2007 and 2013, before and after the entry into force of the Spanish and European public health regulations governing the broadcast of fast food ads on TV.

These regulations came into force in 2011.

To do this, the researchers recorded and analyzed a total of 1263 ads, corresponding to a total of 256 hours of television.

All of them were broadcast on the two most-viewed children-oriented channels watched by Spanish children between 2 and 12 years, and two generalist channels targeting all audiences.

The record was carried out by a nutritionist specialized in marketing, who classified the different types of ads based on the amount of nutrients, subliminal messages and recommendations on healthy habits they gave.

Thematic channels broadcast 16 food advertisements per hour, a figure that rises to 25 in the case of generalist channels.

The most broadcast ads on thematic channels were on infant feeding (excluding milk formulas), with a total of 191 ads, making up 33% of total ads. This was followed by dairy products, which had a total of 136 ads, making up 23.5% of the total.

In the case of generalist channels, the most broadcast ads were on fast food restaurants, with 72 ads making up 10.5%, and vitamins and mineral supplements making up 71 ads, 10.4%. Dairy products accounted for 60 ads, 8.8%.

The results showed that the broadcasting of these ads on children-oriented channels increased between 2007 and 2013, from 6 to 10 ads per hour and channel, respectively.

This trend was similar to what happened with the generalist channels, where, despite the regulations, the broadcast of 'junk food' advertisements has also increased.

Professor Cristina Campoy Folgoso, UGR professor and lead author of this work, warns of the need to increase control over food commercials that are broadcast on Spanish television, and to “take advantage of the level of attention that children pay to television as they watch cartoons to promote healthy lifestyles and a healthy nutrition, with the goal of preventing overweight and obesity.”

The researcher states that it would be necessary to analyze a larger sample of television channels, in order to know, with precision, the information that Spanish children are getting through advertising.

She also notes that “There is currently no control of the advertisings that reach children through games downloaded to their cellphones and tablets as well as in social networks, so it is very necessary to legislate said aspect.”