Reduction in Purchases of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Among Low-Income, Black Adolescents After Exposure to Caloric Information

This paper examines the effect of an intervention to provide caloric information about sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on the number of SSBs purchased by Black adolescents. The intervention randomly assigned urban corner stores in Baltimore City, Maryland to the following calorie information conditions which were posted on the beverage cases: 1) absolute caloric count, 2) percentage More

Government Can Regulate Food Advertising to Children Because Cognitive Research Shows that it is Inherently Misleading

The childhood obesity epidemic has prompted calls for government restrictions on child-targeted advertisements for high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods. Food and entertainment industry groups have countered that the First Amendment prohibits such government regulation. This article draws on relevant court decisions and scientific research on children’s understanding of advertising to show that all advertising directed at children More

Examining the Nutritional Content and Youth-Focused Marketing of Fortified Drinks to Strengthen Public Policies

With the link between sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and childhood obesity well established, effective strategies to reduce consumption of these beverages among children are needed. The objective of this research is to determine whether the nutritional content of fortified beverages and fruit drinks warrants their inclusion or exclusion from public policies designed to reduce the marketing More

How Does the Rural Food Environment Affect Rural Childhood Obesity?

This paper examines the association between the rural food environment and rural lower-income children’s food consumption and obesity rates in six rural towns in Maine. Researchers found few significant relationships between the community food environment and the home food environment. A marginally significant relationship was found between the distance parents traveled to shop and the More

Simplifying Caloric Labeling on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Reduce Consumption of Excess Calories

Providing easily understandable caloric information may be a low-cost strategy for lowering overall caloric intake among groups at high risk for obesity, particularly Black and Hispanic adolescents ages 12 to 18. The aims of the study are to: 1) examine if providing caloric information on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) significantly reduces the frequency and volume of More

The New Age of Food Marketing: How Companies are Targeting and Luring Our Kids – and What Advocates Can Do About It

This report provides a snapshot of five categories of marketing tactics used by fast food, snack food, and soft drink companies to target children and adolescents. These categories include: 1) creating immersive environments; 2) infiltrating social networks; 3) location-based and mobile marketing; 4) collecting personal data; and 5) studying and triggering the subconscious. Descriptions of More

Issue Brief: Reining in Pester Power Food and Beverage Marketing

This legal issue brief focuses on “pester power” food and beverage marketing, in which young children are targeted by marketers in an effort to get them to encourage their parents to purchase products for them. In the brief, pester power marketing is analyzed under existing state consumer protection laws and two primary legal theories: (1) More

Major Findings from 50-State Survey of State Consumer Protection Law to Limit Junk Food Marketing to Children

This report summarizes findings from a 50-state survey of state consumer protection laws to identify key statutes that hold promise to protect children when they are the targets of marketing for unhealthy food and beverage marketing. The authors apply a consumer protection legal framework by dividing children’s food and beverage marketing into three categories: a) More