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Cited by 725Obesity, Physical Activity, DietNutrition, Health and Food BehaviorConsumer Attitudes and Food Labeling

Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US

Open access
Story, Mary, French, Simone·2004·International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
DOI 10.1186/1479-5868-1-3PMC PMC416565
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Abstract

In recent years, the food and beverage industry in the US has viewed children and adolescents as a major market force. As a result, children and adolescents are now the target of intense and specialized food marketing and advertising efforts. Food marketers are interested in youth as consumers because of their spending power, their purchasing influence, and as future adult consumers. Multiple techniques and channels are used to reach youth, beginning when they are toddlers, to foster brand-building and influence food product purchase behavior. These food marketing channels include television advertising, in-school marketing, product placements, kids clubs, the Internet, toys and products with brand logos, and youth-targeted promotions, such as cross-selling and tie-ins. Foods marketed to children are predominantly high in sugar and fat, and as such are inconsistent with national dietary recommendations. The purpose of this article is to examine the food advertising and marketing channels used to target children and adolescents in the US, the impact of food advertising on eating behavior, and current regulation and policies.

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Registry

Crossref · 10.1186/1479-5868-1-3

Cites

83 of 83 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Several recent policy approaches are congruent with the goal of promoting healthier eating in restaurants, including regulations focused on menu labeling and marketing.

    “Several recent policy approaches are congruent with the goal of promoting healthier eating in restaurants, including regulations focused on menu labeling and marketing.”

    From Healthier side dishes at restaurants: an analysis of children's perspectives, menu content, and energy impacts (2014) · cites this paper as [14]

    The Summary and Conclusions recommends policies to limit food marketing to children, supporting the marketing-regulation part of the claim. It does not discuss restaurant menu labeling or identify these recommendations as recent restaurant-focused policies; the Regulations on Advertising to Children section instead says there were few US policies or standards for food marketing aimed at children. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Thus far, there are mixed results in terms of the potential impacts of menu labeling and marketing regulations on eating behavior.

    “Both of these approaches address consumers’ access to information about food, and thus far, there are mixed results in terms of the potential impacts of these strategies on eating behavior [10-23].”

    From Healthier side dishes at restaurants: an analysis of children's perspectives, menu content, and energy impacts (2014) · cites this paper as [14]

    The sections on advertising regulations and regulations in other countries describe existing controls but say evidence is still needed on whether stricter rules change children's food choices or eating behavior. The section on advertising's influence examines exposure to ads, not the effects of regulating them. Our copy does not address menu labeling or report mixed results for either strategy (searched: menu labeling, nutrition labeling, and effects of advertising regulations). (LLM, conf=0.76)

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  • Evidence suggests that aggressive marketing of these foods to children, adolescents, and young adults disproportionately affects vulnerable groups.

    “Evidence suggests that aggressive marketing of these foods to children, adolescents, and young adults disproportionately affects vulnerable groups [234,235,236,237,238].”

    From Food Addiction and Psychosocial Adversity: Biological Embedding, Contextual Factors, and Public Health Implications (2020) · cites this paper as [236]

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Kraak V Pelletier DL How marketers reach young consumers: Implications for nutrition education and health promotion campaigns Family Economics and Nutrition Review 1998 11 31 41
  2. Zollo P Wise Up To Teens: Insight into Marketing and Advertising to Teenagers, 2nd edition 1999 Ithaca, NY, New Strategist Publications, Inc.
  3. Morton H The television advertising of food to children: a South Australian study Journal of Food Nutrition 1984 41 170 175
  4. Horgan KB Choate M Brownell KD Singer D G and Singer J L Television food advertising Handbook of Children and Media 2001 Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications 447 461

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Authors
Story, M., & French, S.
Affiliations
University of Minnesota (US)
Corresponding author
Story, Mary
ORCID
French, Simone
Venue
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2004-02-10
Volume
1
Issue
1
Pages
3-3
ISSN
1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/1479-5868-1-3
PMC
PMC416565
OpenAlex
W2127677360
Cited by
725
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 34 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 42
FWCI
25.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Consumer Attitudes and Food Labeling
Keywords
food advertising, food marketing, children, adolescents, television advertising, product placement, brand building, dietary habits, food marketing regulation

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