A little news blurb from RWJ caught my eye, regarding a study suggesting that banning fast food advertising to kids could reduce the number of overweight children in the U.S. by up to 18%. This got me thinking, since a couple days ago I had a spirited discussion in one of my classes about the role of fast food advertising in childhood obesity.
Such debates seem to start with a "it's all the parents' fault, stop blaming McDonald's" theme, but over time it typically heads to a more moderate stance in the class in general. Almost every time I've had a conversation in class about this, though, the final consensus still tends to land with the real burden being placed on the parents. Do fast food advertisements targeting kids contribute to the problem? Of course. But in the end students tend to feel that advertisements play a relatively minor role - particularly when compared to video games and other media that involve kids sitting there doing nothing instead of being physically active.
I'm going to have to go read this study, but it's a finding that just jumped out at me.
On a potentially-related note, NPR's On The Media had an interesting interview with a researcher suggesting that much published is either wrong or exaggerated. He relates this to the "winner's curse" in economics which states that people who win an auction almost certainly overpay. In the case of academic journals, it's the more interesting/novel results that get published. It's an interesting interview, certainly worth checking out.
Does that mean the findings about fast food advertising and childhood overweight are wrong? Not necessarily... But it does have me considering such studies in a different light.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Advertising, marketing communication activity, and sustained campaigns certainly influence how and what we eat.
I am interested in the cultural differences and the ethical dimensions that might mitigate the influence of promotional material for food and health. See www.prfoodhealth.blogspot.com for discussion about a course to be held in London this summer (09) that will address these issues.
Oh, I have no doubt that these message influence how and what we eat. But I find it semi-difficult to believe that eliminating fast food advertising would cut the number of overweight children in the U.S. by 18%.
Post a Comment