The food industry spends upwards of $10 billion annually targeting children. Tried and true methods, such as Happy Meals with toys or cereal with prizes, cartoon and/or movie characters are constantly being promoted. Did you ever notice how little effort is paid towards promoting the actual product/food item? And if the focus is on the food, it is because it has cool shapes or loaded with harmful food coloring to make your kid's yogurt green.
Advertisers focus on marketing to children for a variety of reasons. First, they influence purchasing decisions today, mainly through nagging and temper tantrums. There is also a long-term component to this strategy, brand building and customer loyalty. One day, these children will be buying for themselves, and eventually, their own kids. Children see, on average, 15 food-based commercials daily, according to KFF.org. Consider that over an entire childhood, the amount of advertisements will total in the tens of thousands, assuming the aforementioned averages.
While food shopping recently, I decided to take a moment and look at some of the marketing geared toward children. It's not hard to miss that almost every packaged item, geared to any age, are plastered with marketing claims and labels. These are always on the front of the package while the nutrition facts and ingredients are hidden somewhere more discreet, like the back or bottom and needing a magnifying glass to read.
When you look at the marketing that is directed to kids, did you ever notice how large the movie or cartoon character is? It's usually the whole front of the box while the actual food product is non-existent or much less prominent. If we are lucky enough to see the actual food on the package, it is often photoshopped or bolstered in some way to make the food looks better than it really is, like using glue instead of milk to make the cereal "float" better.
Children are easily influenced by a wide variety of things, including advertising. Did you ever see how glued they are to the TV? When they are in this state, their brains are usually in the alpha state, which is the same frequency hypnotists use to plant suggestions in your mind when someone wants to quit smoking or lose weight. So not only are these kids being influenced many times a day, but they are in highly susceptible states, which allows the message to sink right in. I believe the responsibility of a child's health rests with his or her parents, however, these practices need to be exposed.
So if you're a parent, what can you do? First, shop at healthier locales like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's where the products are cleaner and the marketing to children is toned down as the focus is on the health of the product. Also, consider limiting TV to commercial-free stations or those who have committed to holding advertisers to high standards, given the child audience. You also must instill in your child healthy eating habits. Teach them the importance of fruits and vegetables, and the positive benefits they bring. Make them aware of the shortcomings of processed foods. With some children seeing thousands of food adds a year, you have to start early and repeat often.
Advertisers focus on marketing to children for a variety of reasons. First, they influence purchasing decisions today, mainly through nagging and temper tantrums. There is also a long-term component to this strategy, brand building and customer loyalty. One day, these children will be buying for themselves, and eventually, their own kids. Children see, on average, 15 food-based commercials daily, according to KFF.org. Consider that over an entire childhood, the amount of advertisements will total in the tens of thousands, assuming the aforementioned averages.
While food shopping recently, I decided to take a moment and look at some of the marketing geared toward children. It's not hard to miss that almost every packaged item, geared to any age, are plastered with marketing claims and labels. These are always on the front of the package while the nutrition facts and ingredients are hidden somewhere more discreet, like the back or bottom and needing a magnifying glass to read.
When you look at the marketing that is directed to kids, did you ever notice how large the movie or cartoon character is? It's usually the whole front of the box while the actual food product is non-existent or much less prominent. If we are lucky enough to see the actual food on the package, it is often photoshopped or bolstered in some way to make the food looks better than it really is, like using glue instead of milk to make the cereal "float" better.
Children are easily influenced by a wide variety of things, including advertising. Did you ever see how glued they are to the TV? When they are in this state, their brains are usually in the alpha state, which is the same frequency hypnotists use to plant suggestions in your mind when someone wants to quit smoking or lose weight. So not only are these kids being influenced many times a day, but they are in highly susceptible states, which allows the message to sink right in. I believe the responsibility of a child's health rests with his or her parents, however, these practices need to be exposed.
So if you're a parent, what can you do? First, shop at healthier locales like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's where the products are cleaner and the marketing to children is toned down as the focus is on the health of the product. Also, consider limiting TV to commercial-free stations or those who have committed to holding advertisers to high standards, given the child audience. You also must instill in your child healthy eating habits. Teach them the importance of fruits and vegetables, and the positive benefits they bring. Make them aware of the shortcomings of processed foods. With some children seeing thousands of food adds a year, you have to start early and repeat often.
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