Impact of Food Advertisement on Food Habits of the Children

INTRODUCTION

Businesses of all sizes are increasingly relying on advertisements to increase their awareness among consumers and turn them into long-term customers. Adverts have a significant effect on everyone, regardless of age or gender, and can change people's habits for the better. Children, on the other hand, are the target audience that these commercials have the greatest impact on, both positively and negatively. Every day, every minute, and every second of the day, the advertising industry becomes more as companies look for creative writers or designers to help them present their products to end users in a way that stands out and leaves a lasting impression. A genuine product can be nearly impossible to tell apart from a fake one in today's global marketplace, when consumers are bombarded with items with a variety of features, purposes, and price points, making it nearly impossible to tell one from the other. Despite the fact that advertising can have both positive and detrimental impacts, the long-term impact on the minds of young children is the most significant one. We'll be looking at the impact of TV food advertising on the eating habits of Indian children and adolescents and the marketing channels utilised to reach them. An important focus of this research is on how Indian food promotion and marketing strategies affect children's nutritional status and eating habits. As a growing consumer demographic, the food and beverage sector has begun to recognise children and adolescents. It is as a result of this that the food industry is aggressively targeting children and teenagers in order to expose them to an unprecedented quantity of advertising, marketing, and commercialism. Brand recognition, preference, loyalty, and food purchases are the primary objectives of food advertising and marketing aimed at schoolchildren. Children and teenagers are targeted using a wide variety of food advertising strategies and platforms to build brand awareness and boost product sales. In addition to traditional media such as print and radio, advertisers are increasingly turning to the internet and other forms of non-traditional advertising such as product placements in public places like schools and after-school programmes. A startling resemblance exists between the methods used by food companies to market unhealthy foods to children and those employed by the tobacco industry to market cigarettes to youngsters. Some examples include complimentary sports programmes and scoreboards, as well as book covers with school

The marketing of candy and bubble gum in packets like those of actual cigarette brands was used to lure young children. Ads for a variety of popular cigarette brands were put in periodicals with huge readerships of young people. Advertisers frequently employed promotional things including sports bags, caps, sweepstakes, lighters with cigarette company emblems, and premiums to market their products. As a symbol of freedom and self-reliance, the "Marlboro Man" appealed to young men in particular. According to studies based on observation, 30 percent of 3-year-old children and over 80 percent of 6-year-old children now identify Joe Camel with a pack of smokes because of the use of the cartoon character. Adolescent smokers' choice for Camel cigarettes increased from 0.5 to 32 percent over the course of three years following the debut of the cartoon camel character. Adolescents' smoking rates rose sharply as a result of the massive advertising and public relations campaigns aimed at them. Time-series research found that adolescents are more responsive to cigarette brand advertising than adults, with an average of three times the response rate. Numerous research, both cross-sectional and longitudinal, have demonstrated the link between teenage tobacco use and exposure to and responsiveness to tobacco advertising and promotion. In the same way, similar studies have been done on the link between food advertising and obesity. Several studies have found that the majority of foods sold to elementary school students are rich in sugar and fat, which is in direct conflict with healthy eating guidelines for children. There is a strong correlation between the frequency with which youngsters see food advertisements and the frequency with which they choose to eat things that have been advertised. Children under the age of 11 have also shown a substantial correlation between the amount of time they spend watching television and the number of times they ask their parents for certain foods, as well as the availability of those foods in their homes. As a result, individuals are more likely to see advertisements for food products. Obesity in youngsters has been found to be related to the amount of time spent watching television, according to numerous research. Despite this, greater research is needed to evaluate the probable links between exposure to commercials for food products, dietary habits, and weight gain. Many child activists and media professionals believe that marketing to children and teenagers will inevitably lead to a growing public health concern. Young children, especially infants, are more vulnerable to the influence of marketing than adults. Children under the age of eight have been shown in numerous studies to be developmentally unable to understand the purpose of marketing or to accept the claims made in advertisements as factual. Marketing high-fat, high-sugar foods to children can be seen as exploitation, because youngsters lack the ability to particularly youngsters under the age of eight, to make a purchase of the goods being advertised. Ads with powerful emotional messages might influence older children and teenagers. Several studies have claimed that children, a vulnerable demographic that is easily swayed by ads, should be shielded against commercial influences that have a negative impact on their health. Children's health should be taken more seriously by society as a whole, according to researchers. These youngsters must also be supported and encouraged to make healthy dietary choices by social and environmental factors. Environmental strategies and policy recommendations for food advertising and marketing geared toward children and adolescents must be developed. We need to have national debate about these concerns.

Children's dietary habits have been greatly influenced by food marketing. The majority of places where children are exposed to food marketing include not just supermarkets, but also convenience stores, television, and the internet. Childhood obesity has recently become a cause for concern due to the growth and expansion of the marketing of unhealthy foods, which influences children's purchasing and consumption habits, including their knowledge of nutrition and food preferences, as well as how they shop for food and their overall health as a result of their diet. Television is the primary source of food-related media messages for children, particularly younger ones. Television Food advertising is the use of television to promote food goods and businesses. Ads for local fast food restaurants are the most frequently spotted on billboards in the immediate vicinity of people's homes. Food advertising can be done in a variety of ways. Television advertising campaigns are the most obvious, followed by print media ads and billboard advertisements. Commercials on television have become a solid medium for advertising new items. E-Z Pop Popcorn was the first food commercial to air. McDonald's was the first fast food chain to have a live television ad. The effectiveness of television commercials is mainly reliant on the use of memorable jingles and slogans. Because of the powerful impact that sound and motion have on potential customers, television commercials are often considered to be a successful type of advertising. Television advertising, being a popular public medium, plays a significant influence in the marketing of food to young people. Food and beverage firms spent a total of 2.1 billion dollars promoting their products to children and adolescents in the United States, nearly one billion commercials aimed towards children rose by 59.5 percent. All of these evidence points to the fact that food advertising is becoming increasingly prevalent and has an increasingly important role in influencing children's dietary preferences. Due to some poor eating habits, watching a lot of television may raise the risk of childhood obesity, such as eating more high-fat, fast food and sugar-sweetened beverages. Obesity in China's children and adolescents may be influenced in part by the fact that children and adolescents who watch television advertising are more likely to ask for and receive snacks similar to those they see on TV. At the same time, children's food cognition and attention have been influenced by the promotion of high-energy, low-nutrient foods on television, as well as celebrity endorsements and brand effects. Children in underdeveloped nations under the age of twelve may not be able to analyse and determine the purpose of food advertisements, thus they tend to choose foods that have been popularised and so raise the risk of obesity. As a result, the promotion of unhealthy foods to youngsters is a critical issue that must be addressed. Food, medicine and cosmetics, soaps, autos, tobacco, appliances, and oil goods make up the second-largest group of advertising. Television (TV) viewing and exposure to T.V. food advertising are two of the most powerful influences on the eating habits and food choices of young people.

Nutrition-dense foods (e.g., fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and whole grains) are lacking in the diets of American children, whereas energy-dense foods and beverages are abundant (i.e., chips, fast food, soda). Sugary cereals, fast food restaurants, and snack foods like chips, candies, sugar-sweetened beverages, and yoghurt are the most commonly advertised unhealthy foods to children. An increase in the consumption of commercially promoted foods has been linked to repeated exposure to advertisements for unhealthy foods on television. The marketing of high-calorie, high-fat, and high-sugar meals on television has the potential to influence children's eating habits for the rest of their lives, increasing the likelihood that they will grow up to be obese. On average, children in Europe and the United States spend more than two and a half hours a day watching television (e.g.,). More than seven hours a day of media exposure for 8 to 18-year-olds in the United States has been reported in recent reports based on their age and the several uses of media. These hours of viewing assault children with advertising because ad-free noncommercial channels like those in Germany and Sweden are rare. As a result, in the United States, 20–25% of children's daily caloric intake comes from drinks was linked to a 9.4% increase in children's soft drink consumption in 2004. A 1.1 percent increase in children's consumption of fast food was linked to an increase in exposure to fast food advertising. Exposure to ads for calorie-dense, nutrient-poor meals may lead to an increase in total unhealthy food consumption. Children in private schools in Udaipur are regularly exposed to food advertising on television, which has a negative impact on their eating habits, food choices and nutritional status. This study was aimed to replicate these settings. A television program's commercial breaks contained all of its adverts, and the quantity of food ads remained steady throughout a certain period of broadcast time. Children's snack food consumption while watching television was studied in a study of prevalent sorts of children's food ads. In addition, the study looked into the impact of snack and nutrition-focused food advertising on children's consumption of a variety of healthy and harmful snacks. As primes in the real world, the messaging in television food advertisements can also influence eating habits.

Numerous studies show a link between children's bad eating habits and the amount of time they spend watching television. Numerous studies have found a link between children's television consumption and their nutritional health. As a result of watching too much television, children are less active and consume more calories. Studies have also shown that commercials for fast food and energy-dense snacks on television increase consumer intake. Children's eating habits, food purchasing behaviours, and nutritional status were all factors considered when designing this study. The results of previous studies show conclusively that children's eating habits, food preferences and choices, purchase requests and food intake are greatly influenced by their exposure to food advertising on television. Commercial food marketing to children leads to increased consumption of harmful products and nutrient-poor, high-energy foods, according to research on children's food advertising on television. Children's risk of malnutrition and sickness rises when such harmful foods are consumed. People's eating habits have shifted dramatically in modern consumer societies as a result of their altered way of life. Fast food, convenience foods, high-energy snacks, and soft drinks are all staples of the modern man's diet, all of which contribute to his deteriorating health. There has been a significant impact on the future health of individuals, especially youngsters, due to the rapid shifts in food preferences and choices. Infants and children

spent watching television by children and teenagers are substantial. Adverts for food and beverage products are shown to children on a daily basis. As a result of watching a lot of television, children are more likely to consume unhealthy foods. Children under the age of 12 have been shown to be influenced by television advertising in terms of their food preferences, purchase requests, and diets. Young children's calorie intake and snacking habits increased soon following food ads, according to experimental investigations on children's eating habits. Children who see television commercials promoting fattening and sweetening meals are more likely to desire to consume them, according to a study conducted by the University of Liverpool. 281 six to 13-year-olds from the North West of England were studied by researchers at the Institute of Psychology, Health and Society. An episode of a well-known cartoon was shown to the youngsters, who were then viewed it again two weeks later. Prior to each cartoon, viewers were treated to five minutes of ads, with one set featuring toy advertisements and the other focusing on fast food and snack items. Before and after each presentation the kids were given a choice of a variety of food items, both branded and unbranded. According to the findings, youngsters were more inclined to make bad dietary choices after seeing food commercials. The children's food preference lists contained more branded and non-branded fat- and carbohydrate-rich products than those they selected after seeing toy advertisements. Children who watched more than 21 hours of television each week were more likely than those who watched less to be influenced by food advertisements, according to the research. The children who watched the show on a regular basis had a higher BMI than those who did not. The Kissileff Laboratory's Emma Boyland said: "Young children's obesity is now a global health issue. The research shows that advertising, consumer food preferences, and food consumption all have a global impact. As a result of this "beyond-brand" impact, kids are more likely to choose any unhealthy food, not simply the ones shown in commercials. Children who watch a lot of television are more likely to eat unhealthy meals, according to one study. This shows that limiting the quantity of television that children watch might be a good idea. Additionally, these findings have ramifications for the regulation of children's television food advertising on television. Children shouldn't be exposed to advertisements for high-fat, high-sugar, and high-salt foods on popular family television after 9 p.m." Commercials for non-essential goods are a common occurrence on children's television channels, as are freebies and promotional characters. Children who are exposed to a lot of fast-food advertising on television are more likely to eat it. Diets heavy in processed foods and animal protein, prevalent in consumer societies, have a particularly detrimental environmental impact, a health priority list, especially in the United States, which has the highest rate of health problems in the world. Children and adolescents in the United States watch television for over four and a half hours per day. Children between the ages of 2 and 12 can be exposed to up to 38 minutes of advertising each day during this time period. In children's television, half of all advertising time is devoted to food. Each day, children between the ages of 2 and 7 view 12 food advertisements, while those between the ages of 8 and 12 encounter 21 advertisements, or 7,609 advertisements every year. According to the data, both the quantity and type of food advertised to young children are disturbingly high. Taste is a crucial factor in determining a person's food preferences. It is common for people to keep their eating and taste preferences consistent throughout their adolescence and early adulthood. Taste preferences are formed through frequent exposure and positive advertising about various meals, and early exposure to television can have a long-lasting impact on eating habits. There is a lot of concern about how food is promoted to children because of the tremendous resources that global food firms devote to marketing and branding harmful meals. One of the most pressing public health issues facing our nation's youth is the prevalence of high-calorie, low-nutrient fast food. It's a well-documented fact that commercials like these encourage people to make less healthy food choices. There is a direct causal link between exposure to food advertising and the consumption of snacks and calories, a decrease in the intake of fruits and vegetables, and an increase in obesity rates in youngsters. Advertisements for unhealthy foods have been linked directly to poorer levels of nutritional understanding, according to the available research. As a result, it appears that advertisements trump information obtained through other means that encourages consumers to make healthier decisions. Effective advertising messages, instead of requiring active processing and comprehension, establish favourable connections on children's brains that can be triggered in decision scenarios. Research shows that children's tastes can be influenced by food advertising, which can lead to healthier or unhealthy choices. Many nations in low and moderate income brackets continue to struggle with obesity, as evidenced by figures published by the World Health Organization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF). For the most part, there is no evidence that food advertising has an impact on children's diets or diet-related health directly. Nearly 69% of all advertising by corporations is for poor nutritional quality products despite positive measures by the industry to encourage healthy lifestyles in children. beverage commercials that children view on television are for junk food and sugary drinks, resulting in renewed calls for stricter measures to limit their exposure. It's estimated that 50% of food and drink ads shown to children aged 4-15 in 2015 promoted products with HFSS [high in fat, salt, or sugar] or restaurants and bars. This is according to an IFS briefing paper on children's exposure to food and drink advertising on television. Some 39% of that went to HFSS products, and 11% went to restaurants and bars, the majority of which went to fast food outlets, about two-thirds of it went to McDonald's.) As a kid or adolescent grows and develops, so does their health and well-being. As a result, eating habits learned in childhood can have a long-term effect on health and chronic disease risk. Children and adolescents in the United States consume a diet that does not satisfy national dietary standards, according to numerous researches. There has been a rise in the number of children and teenagers eating and drinking outside of the home, as well as snacking more frequently. More over half of the calories consumed by American children come from fat or sugar. Public health officials are alarmed by the rising tide of children who are overweight or obese. Currently, 15% of American children and adolescents are overweight, a prevalence roughly twice as high in children and three times as high in adolescents compared to 1980 prevalence estimates. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is becoming more common in young people as a result of their obesity, with 60% of overweight children having at least one cardiovascular risk factor (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia). People in the United States are at risk of losing their health and productivity as a result of these changes. Children's eating habits and body weight are of essential relevance in determining whether or not youth-targeted marketing and advertising of food products has an influence. It was during the 1970s and 1980s that the majority of studies on the effects of food advertising on children's dietary preferences were undertaken. Children's exposure to television advertising and their food preferences, food choices, consumption, or purchase requests were the topic of these studies. The results of a recent study on the impact of television food advertisement on the eating habits of school-age children were as follows: 1) Studies of food preferences using experimental designs have consistently shown that children exposed to advertising will choose advertised food products at significantly higher rates than children who were not exposed. 2) Findings from food purchase request studies based on surveys, diaries, experimental trials, and direct observation of mother-child pairs shopping have consistently shown that children's exposure to food television 3) Purchase requests for specific brands or categories of food products also reflect product advertising frequencies; and 4) Fewer studies have been conducted on food advertising effects on actual food intake, in part due to difficulty in controlling children's exposure to advertising or to foods outside experimental settings.

The present study was conducted on 10-12 years children of Udaipur city, Rajasthan to find out effects of advertisement on food habits of children and to know parents view regarding food habits, Nutritional Status and buying behaviour of their children. When the sample respondents were asked about their preference of T.V. channels, maximum numbers of children were fond of Cartoon Network channel followed by Disney Channel, Pogo, Hungama, Disney Junior and so on. All of them mostly preferred channels cartoon serials and in that also particularly those stories that were focused on kids received the maximum 428 response. When asked to give response about their non-preferable channels, we found that virtually all those channels have one or more non preferred shows showing a random behaviour which could not define any specific reason. The respondents when asked to name their favorite cartoon characters, from the list that included Nobita, Tom & jerry, Doraemon, Chhota Bheem, Motu Patlu , Ben Tennyson, Oggy and Dora. It was derived that the most preferred cartoon character which was favorite of the maximum sample respondent was Tom and Jerry, Nobita, Doraemon and Chhota Bheem. The sample respondents were asked to list their favourite shows which they prefer to see in their watching hours it was found that 32.50 % of the respondents only see cartoon or animated shows, 29% of them prefers watching those children shows or serials which were based on child characters, 26% of the children referred to see knowledge based shows and it was amazing to see that only 5% essentially preferred to watch movies on televisions. Regular T.V. shows did not gain that preference by the children while only some of them i.e. 6.67% likes watching reality based T.V. shows like Big Boss or Nach Baliye or so. We saw that maximum children prefered watching T.V. Ads too, that came in between the shows. And it was analysed that children did prefer to watch the T.V. Ads that are related to food products, which conveys that these Ads would definitely be encouraging or influencing them towards various eating habits. The second most favorite Ads was found to be those of automobiles.

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