Children's Exposure to TV Advertising in 1977 to 2004. Information for the Obesity Debate

摘要

Obesity has become a major health concern in the U.S. and other countries as overweight and obesity rates have increased markedly since the early 1980s. The rise in children's obesity is a particular concern, because overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults, and because obese children are likely to suffer from associated medical problems earlier in life. Food marketing is among the postulated contributors to the rise in obesity rates. Food marketing to children has come under particular scrutiny because children may be more susceptible to marketing and because early eating habits may persist. Some researchers report that children's exposure to television advertising has been increasing along with the rise in children's obesity rates. This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the exposure of children, ages 2-11, to television advertising based on copyrighted Nielsen Monitor-Plus/Nielsen Media Research audience data from the 2004 television programming season. The detailed data covers the individual advertisements shown during four weeks of national and local ad-supported programming and includes paid commercials, public service announcements, and promotions for television programming.