Pity our poor, TV-watching kids. Just about every time they turn on the tube to watch their favorite shows, they’re accosted by ads pushing one sugary food after another.
If they’re not tormented by commercials trumpeting the scrumptious flavors of certain candies, then they’re being nudged to become a fan of the newest sugary cereal.
And if they don’t see ads for candies or cereals, then they’re teased into submission to chomp some processed-carb crap snacks.
- Children aged 8 to 12 (they call them "tweens") see the most food ads on TV, an average of 21 ads a day, or more than 7,600 a year.
- Teens see slightly fewer ads, about 17 a day, or more than 6,000 a year.
- And children ages 2 to 7 see about 12 food ads a day, or 4,400 a year."
Not suprisingly, the study found that food was the top product advertised. Sure enough, of the food ads that target children or teens:
- 34% are for candy and snacks.
- 28% are for cereal.
- 10% are for fast foods.
And we wonder why our kids are becoming moody, depressed, tired, irritable and fat?
Then, the Kaiser Foundation study found that:
- A mere 4% are for dairy products and
- 1% for fruit juices.
And get this: Of the 8,854 ads reviewed in the study, not one sinle ad targeting children or teens urged them to eat fruits or vegetables.
Duh! Small wonder that why our nation’s kids aren’t getting enough nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.
"Children of all ages see thousands of food ads a year, but tweens see more than any other age group,” said Vicky Rideout, vice president and director of the Program for the Study of Entertainment Media and Health at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Since tweens are at an age where they’re just becoming independent consumers, understanding what type of advertising they are exposed to is especially important.”