Policies to Protect Children from the Harmful Impact of Food

Topic: Policy area: Protecting children from the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.

Good morning, everyone! Today, I am here to discuss a critical and pressing issue that affects our children's well-being: protecting them from the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. As you might know, this is a topic of great importance, as it directly impacts the physical and mental health of our young ones. Let's dive into this presentation where a relevant research article is selected and will be critically discussed, which comprises five slides, to better understand the challenges and potential solutions in this policy area.

Slide

1: Introduction

For the 1st slide, let's establish why this issue is of paramount importance. Protecting our children from the influence of unhealthy food and beverage marketing is essential (Backholer et al., 2021). It's not just about diet; it's about their physical and mental well-being (Potvin et al., 2019). The rise in childhood obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related health issues cannot be ignored (Potvin et al., 2019).

One of the most significant culprits in this issue is the portrayal of unhealthy foods as desirable, trendy, and a part of everyday life in social media marketing (Coates et al., 2019). The normalization of unhealthy foods through these platforms can have detrimental effects on our children's health (Coates et al., 2019). In our society, we all share an ethical responsibility to shield our children from these harmful marketing practices. It's not just the government's duty, but also that of society and industries. We need to work together to protect our children (Taillie et al., 2021).

Slide 2: Study Overview

To understand the extent of the problem and its implications, we chose a research article titled, “Australian Children's Exposure to, and Engagement With, Web-Based Marketing of Food and Drink Brands: Cross-sectional Observational Study”. This article employed a cross-sectional observational design, which is a type of quantitative research approach (Kelly et al., 2021). This design enables to gather data at a specific point in time, offering a snapshot of the subject matter – in this case, children's exposure to web-based food marketing (Kelly et al., 2021). In order to analyze the research design of this particular article, we should first explore the beneficial characteristics of the research strategies employed by it.

The advantages of employing a quantitative research design as it is considered in this paper are numerous. Firstly, it allows for the systematic collection of large amounts of data, which can provide statistically significant results (Rahman et al., 2022). This methodology also permits the identification of patterns, trends, and relationships within the data, providing valuable insights into the scope and impact of the issue. In addition, this research method offers the benefit of rigor and control over data collection (Rahman et al., 2022). We were able to ensure that the data collected was consistent and standardized, enhancing the reliability of our findings (Mazhar et al., 2021).

On the other hand, to collect the primary data, this research paper engaged children aged 13-17 years actively. They were tasked with recording their mobile screens during web use and subsequently uploading video files to a secure server for analysis (Kelly et al., 2021). This approach was not only insightful but also ensured the participation of the demographic most affected by the issue, allowing us to gain a genuine understanding of their online experiences (Mazhar et al., 2021).

Slide 3: Measures of Quality

The study revealed some alarming findings. Children encountered an average of 17.4 food and beverage promotions per hour online, which indicates the high intensity of web-based food marketing (Kelly et al., 2021). This study categorized these promotions into three main types:

• Earned media impressions (58.77%)
• Media owned by the brand (16.46%)
• Paid advertisements (24.76%)

It's concerning to note that the promotion of noncore foods (58.01%) and fast-food restaurants (32.82%) was prevalent, indicating a significant presence of unhealthy food marketing. Even more concerning, almost 99.5% of these promotions did not meet nutrient profiling criteria for permissible marketing of food (Kelly et al., 2021).

Slide 4: Key Findings

Further analysis of the data revealed that children had low engagement with brand promotions, with a median of only 0.3 overall engagements per hour (Kelly et al., 2021). However, the primary factor influencing children's weekly exposure to promotions was the amount of time they spent on the internet on mobile devices (Backholer et al., 2021). This highlights the significant impact of the digital landscape.

What's even more alarming is that online exposure to food marketing exceeded TV advertising significantly, underlining the need for immediate regulatory action (Kelly et al., 2021). It is realized from this particular article that restrictions on unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children on digital platforms are necessary (Potvin et al., 2019). Additionally, clear labeling of advertising content and sponsorship on digital platforms should be enforced to ensure transparency and protect our children (Taillie et al., 2021).

Slide 5: Conclusion

In conclusion, I can say that this selected research study helps to comprehend the alarming extent of children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing, emphasizing the necessity of immediate regulatory action. Policymakers, government authorities, and industries need to collaborate to enforce stricter regulations and transparent marketing practices, ensuring a healthier environment for our children.

The well-being of our children should always be a priority. We need to protect them from the harmful effects of marketing unhealthy foods and beverages. Let's work together to make a difference, ensuring a healthier future for the next generation.

Thank you for your attention, and I'm now open to any questions or discussions on this crucial issue.

References

Backholer, K., Gupta, A., Zorbas, C., Bennett, R., Huse, O., Chung, A., ... & Peeters, A. (2021). Differential exposure to, and potential impact of, unhealthy advertising to children by socio‐economic and ethnic groups: A systematic review of the evidence. Obesity Reviews, 22(3), e13144. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13144

Coates, A. E., Hardman, C. A., Halford, J. C., Christiansen, P., & Boyland, E. J. (2019). Food and beverage cues featured in YouTube videos of social media influencers popular with children: an exploratory study. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 2142. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02142

Hsph.Harvard., (2023). The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/

Kelly, B., Bosward, R., & Freeman, B. (2021). Australian children's exposure to, and engagement with, web-based marketing of food and drink brands: cross-sectional observational study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(7), e28144. 10.2196/28144

Mazhar, S. A., Anjum, R., Anwar, A. I., & Khan, A. A. (2021). Methods of data collection: A fundamental tool of research. Journal of Integrated Community Health (ISSN 2319-9113), 10(1), 6-10. https://doi.org/10.24321/2319.9113.202101

Potvin Kent, M., Pauzé, E., Roy, E. A., de Billy, N., & Czoli, C. (2019). Children and adolescents' exposure to food and beverage marketing in social media apps. Pediatric obesity, 14(6), e12508. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12508

Rahman, M. M., Tabash, M. I., Salamzadeh, A., Abduli, S., & Rahaman, M. S. (2022). Sampling techniques (probability) for quantitative social science researchers: a conceptual guidelines with examples. Seeu Review, 17(1), 42-51. https://ca.nvsu.edu.ph/e-library/books/gs/ruraldev/RD%20200/Rahman,%20et%20al..pdf

Taillie, L. S., Busey, E., Stoltze, F. M., & Dillman Carpentier, F. R. (2019). Governmental policies to reduce unhealthy food marketing to children. Nutrition reviews, 77(11), 787-816. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuz021 World Health Organization (WHO)(2023). Healthy diet. https://www.who.int/health-topics/healthy-diet#tab=tab_1

Related Topic:- Protecting Children from Unhealthy Food and Beverage Marketing

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