How To Protect Children From Food Marketing?

Adults are more vulnerable than we think to advertising pressure, but minors are much more vulnerable. For this reason, in the so-called “children’s schedule” the enormous amount of advertisements for unhealthy products should not be broadcast as is currently the case.

In Spain, our children spend, on average, more than two hours a day in front of the television, something that opens the ban on advertising and makes it difficult for children to exercise the minimum of one hour a day that all health authorities recommend. In the words of the WHO, “there is a strong relationship between watching television and suffering from childhood obesity.”

Children are victims of food marketing

“Unfortunately, the marketing of unhealthy foods to children has proven disastrously effective.” This phrase in quotation marks appears in the press release that accompanies the document of the World Health Organization (WHO) entitled Marketing of foods rich in fat, salt and sugar for children .

The use of persuasive phrases – “helps you grow” -, famous people, fictional characters, catchy songs and special effects explain the success of the ads with children.

Obesity could be reduced by a third

One in three children would not suffer from obesity if food advertisements were banned from children’s television hours. This resounding conclusion is found in an investigation collected in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Therefore, the time has come for our health officials to take action on the matter. Banning the advertising of inconvenient foods on Spanish television is feasible. It has already been done in Sweden, Norway, Greece and the province of Quebec.

What do we do at home?

• We must completely avoid exposing children under the age of two to screens. And that includes so-called “educational programs” that actually promote passivity, in addition to preventing the child from playing or exploring, which is essential to their learning.
• In children between the ages of three and seven, the exposure should be less than half an hour a day. From the age of seven it should not exceed the daily hour. And you should avoid having a television set or a computer in the child’s room.
• It is highly recommended that we be with the children both when they watch television and when they surf the internet. If ads appear, it’s time to change the channel or turn off the television until they disappear.
• Parents must counteract the messages that advertising transmits. We can explain to children that it is not true that advertised foods generate strength, beauty, happiness or success.
• We can also show the child that homemade foods are as tasty as the salty, sugary or greasy products that they see through advertising. To do this, simply put them at your fingertips and lead by example.
• The latter is the most important, in my opinion. If parents or caregivers follow a healthy diet and practice physical exercise, they often transmit powerful values ​​that will accompany their children for life.