Introduction
According to modern research, childhood obesity has been considered to be one of the public health issues that have the propensity of increasing mortality, morbidity, and other associated long-term social and economic costs. As a result of that, the available information indicates that the number of children suffering from obesity has tremendously increased because of poor feeding habits. What this implies is the fact that childhood obesity has the possibility of placing children at higher risk of becoming obese as well as suffering from other health problems for instance cardiovascular diseases, various forms of cancer, diabetes, and so on (Steve, 2015). It is, therefore, the responsibility of the community to ensure that they have come up with various prevention measures that can aid in reducing excessive weight gain in children as they grow up.
According to Steve, (2015), there are various factors that have been realized to contribute toward childhood obesity. For instance, the majority of the children do consume a lot of time watching television, playing computer games, and so on, hence limiting the time they dedicate on physical activities. As a result of that, modern studies have indicated that there is a strong link between advertising the consumption of non-nutritious meals and the perceived rates of childhood obesity. The reason for that is because the majority of the children who are under the age of six years do have the ability of differentiating between advertising and programming while those who are under the age of six years do not adequately understand the intention of food advertising. Therefore, what this implies is the fact that all the advertisements that directed to children at this age can be perceived as being nature exploitative. Ideally, research indicates that children have the potential of recalling contents from the advertisements they will be exposed to. Moreover, product preference to children with continued advertisements is something that makes children to be fond of consuming it. This is to imply that it has the potential of negatively impacting a child’s product purchase requests as well as influencing the purchasing decisions of the parents.
On the other hand, it is evident that proper nutrition is paramount in fostering growth and development during childhood and adolescence. Furthermore, as one of the means of sustaining proper health and well-being, all the childhood eating behaviors that were initially established are the ones that largely contribute towards good long-term health risks. What this implies is the fact that dietary intake patterns for the majority of the children as well as adolescents have been documented to be extremely poor taking into account the failure of the food advertisements to meet their dietary goals (Gregory et al., 2013). The reason for that is because the majority of them regularly consume food away from home which in return negatively affects their eating habits or proper nutrition.
Nevertheless, according to Gregory et al., (2013), the increase in childhood obesity and overweight has now become one of the major public concerns. Research indicates that at least sixty percent of the children are overweight hence increasing their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. These trends have the possibility of negatively impacting the future productivity and health of the children. Additionally, although various factors have been realized to have the potential of influencing food choices and eating behaviors of youths, food advertising has the capability of fostering that. The reason for that is because nowadays the majority of the children consume a lot of time on social media platforms. Gregory et al., (2013) continues to explain that, the majority of the food marketers do sue these platforms for the purpose of advertising the types of food that they supply. Despite that, a large percent of them are interested in adolescents and children because they are the largest consumers of their products.
Moreover according to Charles et al., (2015), food advertising is the fundamental tool when it comes to food marketing. According to the information collected, extensive food marketing that is directed to children is somehow driven by the need of developing as well as building brand recognition or awareness, brand loyalty, and brand preference. Food marketers always have the perception that brand preference begins ahead of purchasing behaviors. Therefore, the general preference for a certain brand in children ultimately takes into account their positive experience with the brand as well as the parents liking of such a brand. What this implies is the fact that a large percentage of food marketers desire to develop to establish an early brand relationship with young consumers when they are toddlers.
The majority of them do understand that preschool children and toddlers do have a considerable purchasing influence which in return makes them to have a strong negotiating power. Therefore, this indicates that food advertisers do consume a lot of time and money to reach the targeted group, especially children, with an attempt of building brand loyalty (Charles et al., 2015). The effect of that is that they end up persuading them to develop uncontrollable desire for a certain food product.
Accordingly, the manner in which a child comprehends such an advertisement is what determines his or her eating habits. The reason for that is because research indicates that young children have limited understanding of all the persuasive intentions of the food advertisements. For instance, at the age of seven to eight years, children perceive advertisement to be entertaining, fun, or as being unbiased information. Taking into account the level of their cognitive development, they end up becoming individuals that are susceptible to food misleading advertisements. In connection to that, the heavy marketing of sugary foods, fatty meals, and so on can be perceived as being exploitative to them (Charles et al., 2015). Since a child does not possess the ability of evaluating the intent of such an advertisement, he or she cannot be in the position of understanding that commercials are ultimately designed for the purpose of influencing purchases.
Likewise, from the video regarding “Forks Over Knives - Now You Know Movies! 2019”, it is evident that a child can be easily swayed by the emotive messages of advertisers which in return affect their eating habits. So far, several channels are used for the purpose of reaching children to enhance brand building as well as influencing their food purchasing behaviors. Regardless of the channels that are used for advertising food, research indicates that they do not have the potential of improving the eating habits of children. Typically, the exposure of children, especially television food adverts, has the possibility of increasing the number of attempts a child makes to influence the parents to purchase for him or her that food product Due to the difficulties in controlling the exposure of a child to such adverts, it is not easy to make him or her understand the amount he or she should consume.
In connection with that, food advertising, particularly using television, has the capability of increasing the preference, attitudes, and behaviors towards them. What this implies is the fact that it is this scenario that end up making a child to desire meals that make them overweight or obese. With food advertisements, what such commercials fail to include are some of the detailed information regarding the importance of better nutrition to children. The heavy marketing of energy-dense, fast foods, and beverages has the possibility of increasing the risk of a child developing obesity. Therefore, although food marketing that target children is heavily funded, it has the possibility of negatively saturating their eating habits (Forks Over Knives - Now You Know Movies! 2019). It is the responsibility of the parents, advocate organizations, and the food industry to ensure that they have come up with mitigation measure that can curb child obesity.
Conclusion
Food adverts are ultimately aimed at improving or increasing the purchasing potential of parents. The same strategies will have to take into account the need of protecting children from exploitative food adverts that are intended for commercial gain. Product preference to children and adolescents with continued advertisements is something that makes children to be found of consuming such a product. Finally, what this implies is the fact that the effectiveness of food advertising will only be based on the manner in which will aid in fostering the health of a child. Improving the dietary intake of children with food advertisement channels is what will make the whole exercise to be profitable to community as far as feeding habits of children are concerned.
References
Charles, S., Katsunori, O., Adrian, D. C., Olivia, P & Charles, M. (2015). Eating with our eyes: From visual hunger to digital satiation. ElSIEVIER Press
Forks Over Knives - Now You Know Movies!. (2019). Retrieved 13 September 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkgN8uLMCGQ
Gregory, M. R., Altaf, M & Aysen, B. (2013). Fantasy In Food Advertising Targeted At Children. American Academy of Advertising.
Humanities and Social Sciences, New York
STEVE, F. (2015). FOOD MARKETING AS A RELEVANT DETERMINANT OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY: THE LINK BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO TV FOOD ADVERTISING AND CHILDREN’S BODY WEIGHT. Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies in
