As a nation, we have come to accept the pervasive nature of advertising and the media, but rarely do we face up to the harmful effects that it might have on our youth. Some have estimated that children currently view as many as 40,000 commercials a year,[1] many of these for food and beverage products.
How marketing influences children and youth is the focus of the Institute of Medicine report, Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? This report provides the most comprehensive review to date of the scientific evidence on the influence of food marketing on diets and diet-related health of children and youth.
Current food and beverage marketing practices put children's long-term health at risk. A high proportion of the products marketed to children are for high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks; fast foods; and sweetened drinks – the very same foods that contribute to the early onset of diet-related chronic diseases. Effective marketing and advertising strategies can be developed that promote healthier foods, beverages, and meal options for children and youth.
Dietary patterns begin in childhood and shape the health of all Americans. Creating an environment in which US children and youth can grow up healthy should be a high priority for our nation. Yet the prevailing pattern of food and beverage marketing to children and youth in America represents, at best, a missed opportunity, and at worst, a direct threat to the health prospects of the next generation.
Changing the current trends in children's diets and in marketing will require strong and active leadership and cooperation, from both the public and private sectors. Working together, we can harness industry creativity on behalf of healthier diets for children.
That's my opinion. I'm Dr. Harvey Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine.
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Readers are encouraged to respond to George Lundberg, MD, Editor of MedGenMed, for the editor's eye only or for possible publication via email: glundberg@medscape.net
References
- 1.Institute of Medicine. Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity? Vol. 42. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2006. Available at: http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3788/21939/31330.aspx Accessed April 4, 2006. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
