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Food and beverage marketing influences the diets and health of children and adolescents. In 2019, fast-food restaurants spent $5 billion in total advertising to children. Black and Hispanic youth are disproportionally targeted by unhealthy food and beverage advertising compared to their White peers. The foods and beverages most heavily marketed to youth are for unhealthy products, high in calories, sugar, fat, and/or sodium, that do not align with national recommendations for healthful diets. Research in this area examines how the elements of marketing—including product, price, placement, and promotion—influence the food and beverage preferences and choices of children and youth, as well as their weight status, and how such elements can be used to promote healthier eating.
Research & Publications See all
February 2026
Water is K’é: Pilot Results of a Community-based Intervention to Increase Healthy Beverage Consumption by Navajo Preschool Children
Researchers developed a culturally-grounded intervention to promote healthy beverage consumption among Navajo children aged 2–5 years. This study, which took place from 2021–2023, evaluated prepost changes in beverage habits and caregiver knowledge and attitudes. This was a prospective cohort study with prepost evaluation. Children attending participating early child education sites and their primary caregivers were More
February 2026
Potential Prevalence of Front-of-Package Labels on Packaged Foods in a Supermarket Chain in the Northeast United States Under Two Proposed Labeling Systems
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed a mandatory “Nutrition Info” label be placed on the front of packaged foods, showing whether products have low, medium, or high amounts of saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar. The agency has also considered a “High-In” labeling system, which would require labels on products with high levels More
February 2026
Trends in California Child and Adult Care Food Program Participation Among Family Child Care Home Providers: The Role of Tiered Meal Reimbursements
In March 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic triggered lockdowns in several states, which immediately affected the number of children served by the CACFP. Nationally, there was a 23% reduction in the number of meals served through CACFP in 2020 compared with 2019. From July 2021 through June 2023, a series of USDA waivers More
February 2026
Multi-Level Health Outcomes of Local Food Procurement in United States Farm-to-School Programs: A Systematic Review
Approximately 74% of schools in the United States participated in at least one farm-to-school (F2S) activity during the 2022 to 2023 school year. Relationships between specific F2S activities, particularly local food procurement, and health outcomes across multiple levels (individual, family, community, and population) have not been systematically reviewed and reported. This systematic review examined relationships More