Undermining Children’s Health

Most food marketing aimed at children is for ultra-processed foods high in calories, salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. That marketing shapes children’s diets by promoting cravings, preferences, purchase requests (the “nag factor”), and ultimately consumption of those foods. Diets high in ultra-processed foods have contributed to soaring rates of childhood obesity and increased risk later in life of type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer, and heart disease.

Since the 1970s, childhood obesity rates have soared. Over the same period, children have been exposed to—and consumed more—salty, sugary, high-fat processed foods: the same foods most frequently marketed to kids.

Obesity rates of Black and Hispanic youths are far higher than in White and Asian Americans. In addition, the older the youths, the higher the obesity rate.

“Food and beverage marketing aimed at children and adolescents almost exclusively promotes, and leads to increased consumption of, unhealthy products."

“Consumption of unhealthy foods and beverages, defined as products that are high in added sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fats, are [sic] linked to poor diet, excess weight gain, and a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and some cancers.”

“Evidence suggests that exposure to advertising is associated with unhealthy behaviors, such as intake of high-calorie, low-nutrient food and beverages…”

"...television advertising influences children to prefer and request high-calorie and low- nutrient foods and beverages.”

“Food advertising has been linked to higher obesity risk via ads for high-calorie, low-nutrient food and beverages (which influence diet and purchases).”

Michael Rich, MD, MPH—a pediatrician and researcher at Harvard Medical School—explains that young children are not yet able to recognize persuasive intent, making them especially vulnerable to marketing that shapes their food preferences and long-term health.

David Ludwig, MD, PhD—a pediatric endocrinologist and obesity researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School—explains the pathway by which food marketing shapes children’s preferences, encourages kids to nag their parents, increases consumption of unhealthy foods, and ultimately promotes obesity and other health harms.

Watch as Barry Popkin, PhD—a nutrition epidemiologist and economist at the UNC Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health—explains how marketing junk food to children contributes to serious and far-reaching health consequences.