Kids Still See Thousands of Unhealthy Food Ads Despite a Drop in Exposure

A new study reveals a significant decline in children’s exposure to food-related advertisements on television since 2013. However, the study also highlights a concerning trend: children are still bombarded with over 1,000 food ads annually, and the vast majority promote unhealthy options. While the number of food commercials children watch has dropped dramatically, a significant portion of these ads still feature products high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. This suggests the need for stronger government regulations to protect children from harmful marketing practices. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed trends in food advertising from 2013 to 2022, focusing on both child-directed programming and general programming. The findings reveal that while exposure to food ads on children’s programming has decreased significantly, the majority of exposure now comes from non-children’s programming, where these unhealthy ads remain prevalent. The study underscores the importance of addressing this issue, particularly as it relates to health disparities among minority children who are disproportionately exposed to unhealthy food marketing.