Food and Beverage Marketing Directed at Children in Canada and in Quebec: An

Update on the Evidence

Monique Potvin Kent PhDInstitute of Population Health

University of Ottawa Ottawa, ON, Canada

May 4, 2011

The Relationship Between Obesity, Food Intake and Food Marketing

in Children

• Commercial food advertising aimed at children directly affects: Food preferences Short term

consumption patterns Food purchase

requests• Associated with obesity

Childhood Obesity in Canada

Children’s Food Intake in Canada• Food intake of Canadian children does not meet nutritional

guidelines (4-18 year olds) Fruit, vegetable and milk consumption Snacks = 27% of daily food intake 22% of calories consumed from foods not recommended

Policy Context

Canada

• Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children and its Code Interpretation Guidelines

• Station-specific policies

• Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative

Quebec

• Consumer Protection Act Bans commercial

advertising of products exclusively designed for children or that appeal to children under 13 years

Applies when children consist of 15% of audience

Advertisement Directed at Children Under 13 years

Advertisement Not Directed at Children under 13 Years

Research in Canada/Quebec on Children’s Exposure to Food Marketing

on Television

Canada Kelly et al. (2010) Adams et al. (2009) Adams et al. (2009b)

Quebec Laperrière (2009) Lebel (2005)

High level of food advertising Ontario 3 food ads/hour/channelQuebec 4 food ads/hour/channelAlberta 7 food ads/hour/channel

Nutritional quality is poor

Main Objective

• to examine the influence of two methods of regulating advertising to children: Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative Consumer Protection Act

Research Questions

Methods

Methods Content Analysis (Studies 1,2,3)

• Type and length• Type of food or beverage• Target audience (Study 1)• Use of media characters (Studies 1 and 3)

Nutritional analysis of all food promotions (Studies 2,3)• Macronutrients • According to recommendations• Categorization according to the U.K. Nutrient Profile Model

Classification of each advertisement by CAI/non-CAI (Study 3)

Frequency of Food/Beverage Promotions by Province/Language (n)

* p < .05

Target Audience (%) of Food and Beverage Advertisements

44.4

17.6

57.665

30.3

76.2

32.5

18.531.1

56.4

88.2

43

Ontario English Quebec French Quebec English

Preschool Children Teens Adults

Media Characters (%) in Food and Beverage Advertisements

Frequency of Advertised Food/Beverages by Food Category (n)

* p < .01

Most Frequently Advertised Food Categories by Group

Ontario English Quebec French Quebec EnglishCandy, gum, fruit rolls (23%)

Yogurt drinks (15%) Candy, gum, fruit rolls (25%)

Cold cereal (11%) Yogurt (15%) Milk (12%)

Fast food restaurants (10%)

Candy, gum, fruit rolls (12%)

Fast food restaurants (9%)

Milk (9%) Fast food restaurants (9%) Prepared foods (8%)

Prepared foods (8%) Cheese, cheese sticks (7%)

Granola bars and cereal bars (8%)

Average Nutrients per 100 g of Advertised Food/Beverages

* p > .001

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Ontario English Quebec French Quebec English

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Healthfulness of Food/Beverage Ads by Province/Language Groups (%)

89.881.0

96.6

High Fat, Sugar or Sodium*

Recommended Nutrient Cut-offs

Ontario English Quebec French

68.360.6

68.9

Less Healthy*

UK Nutrient Profile Model

Quebec English* p < .001

Results Study 3: Food and Beverage Promotions by CAI and non-CAI (n) (99.5 hrs)

* p < .01

Repeat Promotions during 87.5 hrs

CAI Non-CAI

Product/BrandNo. of Repeats Product/Brand

No. of Repeats

Candy and snacks

Oreo Cookies 12 Baby Bottle Pop 13

Gushers Fruit Snacks 11 Ring Pop 13

Hubba Bubba products 15

Hubba Bubba Glop 18

Rice Krispies Squares Bars 18

Sponge Bob Fruit Snacks 28

Beverages Yoplait Yop 10

Restaurants McDonald’s: Happy Meal 32 Chuck E Cheese 11

Dairy Cheestrings 17 Milk 36

Prepared Foods

Kraft Dinner Original 33

Results: Presence of Media Characters (n)

* p < .001

87.5 hrs children’s stations

Promoted Foods and Beverages by Food Category (%) (99.5 hrs)

CAI Non-CAI

* p < .001

Average Nutrients Per 100g of Food/Beverages

* p < .01

Healthfulness of Food/Beverage Promotions Classified by UK Nutrient Profile Model (%)

* p < .001

Policy Implications: Quebec

POLICY INFLUENCE LACK OF INFLUENCE

Consumer Protection Act

•Fewer contests and sponsorship announcements

•More beverages, fewer candy/snacks, and breakfast cereals

•Children targeted less often

•Media characters used less often

•French Quebec’s children’s exposure to advertisements

•The healthfulness of food promotions

•Not protecting English Quebec children

Policy Implications: Canada

POLICY INFLUENCE LACK OF INFLUENCE

Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CAI)

•Some corporations are not advertising to children (n= 4)

•Little use of licensed characters

CAI is responsible for significantly more:

•Food promotions•Repetition•Media characters

•Foods higher in fats, sugar, sodium, energy•Greater number classified as “less healthy”

Policy Recommendations: Canada

• Federal statutory regulation that restricts “unhealthy” food and beverages in all media forms and child settings Broad definitions of:

Children Marketing Unhealthy food

• Systematic monitoring and enforcement

Policy Recommendations: Quebec

• Improved monitoring• Improved enforcement• Child viewing times need to be updated• Need to consider extending

the Consumer Protection Act to restrict all “unhealthy food” advertisements regardless of whether “child directed”

Acknowledgements

The children and parents who participated in these research studies, and

Questions

Results Study 3:Profile of Corporations during 99.5 hrs

CAI (N=13) Non-CAI (N=35)

Corporation type 13 multinational 28 multinational6 Canadian1 American

Manufacturing type 12 food and/or beverage mfr1 restaurant

15 food and/or beverage mfr12 restaurants5 alcoholic beverage mfr/bottler3 industry associations

Top 100 ranking 13 (100%) corporations 15 (43%) corporations

Average length of ad 21.3 seconds 18.6 seconds