Several studies analyze the relationship between advertising and childhood obesity. (Photo: Digital Vision)
Childhood obesity and overweight have become one of the major public health problems of the century, considered as the WHO, which estimates that this problem almost It has tripled in the last 30 years. What is this about? Many studies consider the advertising of foods low in nutritional value as one of the main factors of the increase in obesity in children.
The Gazette reports that according to Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) if a child watches television three hours a day is exposed to 61 food advertisements during a week . In Argentina, according to studies of the audience, children between 4 and 12 years watch three hours of television on average per day and prime time is 19-22 hours.
This is far from the recommendations made APP (AAP, by its initials in English), who suggests that children under 2 not watch television directly, while older two years watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day, which is pretty far from what happens in reality.
WHO makes recommendations to prevent obesity in children , for which considered crucial to establish healthy eating in the early stages of life. Considers that dense foods high in fat, sugar and salt are the main factors contributing to childhood obesity.
According to a study by the AFIC (InterAmerican Heart Foundation Argentina) in August 2015, shortly advertisements help promote healthy eating habits. As revealed: “ Of the food ads issued during the commercial breaks of the programs aimed at children aged 85.3% foods advertised low nutritional value . It is processed with large amounts of sugars, fat, sodium and high caloric value, as postrecitos, sweetened beverages, fast food chains and savory snacks “products.
These commercial use cartoon and movie characters to induce positive messages about these products and associate with fun, pleasure, happiness and being “cool”. According to the studies AFIC, 1 in 4 ads used characters and celebrities, and 1 in 3 offers prizes or gifts to encourage the purchase.
According to the organization Several studies analyze the relationship between advertising and childhood obesity , which highlights four main factors of the relationship:
- The amount of time a child spends watching television replaces time Exercise
- While watching television eating foods low in nutritional value increases
- Increased television exposure leads to an increase in the consumption of products advertised
- Children influence purchasing decisions of their parents after being exposed to food advertising for a prolonged period of exposure to advertising
As the WHO reports, childhood obesity in infants and young children (0-5 years old) increased from 32 million in 1990 to 42 million in 2013. And estimated that if these trends continue overweight values will reach 70 million in 2025 .
According to a 2014 study, 20% to 25% of children and adolescents in Latin America are overweight and obese, and s say, 1 in 4. Among them Argentina is the one with the highest percentage of obesity in children under 5 years , according to 2010 data from the Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition of the WHO.
Among the problems that can result in adulthood is the risk of prematurely diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. To avoid the WHO indicates that children and adolescents should limit your intake of foods high in fats and sugars ; and increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts, and regular physical activity (60 minutes a day).
Children are the most vulnerable to advertisements and that the the shorter age gullible and vulnerable are the messages emitted by commercial, which is well known to food companies who have made them one of his clear for customer acquisition targets, making it necessary to offer more protection
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