The number of food ads that run during children’s TV has declined by more than 95% However, kids still are exposed to more than 1,000 food-related ads a year About 60% of those ads are for unhealthy junk food TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Children are seeing far fewer ads for junk food during kids’ TV shows, a new study finds. The number of food and drink ads during children’s programs has dropped by more than 95%, according to researchers’ analysis of television Nielsen ratings.
This decline occurred following a 2006 pledge by the food industry to stop advertising unhealthy foods during kid’s TV shows, researchers said. However, researchers found that children younger than 12 still see more than 1,000 food-related ads a year, and that 60% of them are for unhealthy products like sugary sodas and salty or fatty snacks. “Kids are still seeing about a thousand ads per year on other programs, and the majority of ads that kids see are still for unhealthy products,” said researcher Lisa Powell , director of health policy and administration in the University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health.
“This is important as the World Health Organization has recognized that reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertisements is a key strategy for improving both children’s diets and health,” Powell added in a university news release. A group of food, beverage and restaurant companies pledged in 2006 to advertise only healthy pr.