Children in the United States grow up in environments saturated by food and beverage marketing, the bulk of it for foods low in nutrients and high in calories, sugars, salt and fat. Food and beverage companies reach children and adolescents using integrated marketing communications strategies, which encompass all forms of communication about products and services. This research synthesis examines recent research on U.S. trends in food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents. It builds on a Healthy Eating Research brief released in October 2008. The synthesis examines the growing body of research that independently assesses industry self-regulation, identifies policy implications and highlights additional research needs and opportunities.
Published: April 2011
ID #: 1048
Publisher: Healthy Eating Research
Authors: Cheyne A, Dorfman L, Gonzalez P, Mejia P
Age Groups: Adolescents (grades 9 to 12), Elementary-age children (grades K to 5), Preschool-age children (ages 3 to 5), Young adolescents (grades 6 to 8)
Race/Ethnicity: African American or Black, Latino(a) or Hispanic, Multi-racial/ethnic, White
Keywords: Competitive foods, Digital marketing, Fast food, Food advertising, Food outlet, Grocery store, Media, Restaurant, Self-regulation, Social media
Focus Areas: Food Marketing, School & After School
Resource Type: Research Review
Related Research
October 2024
Evidence-Based Recommendations to Mitigate Harms from Digital Food Marketing to Children Ages 2-17
Digital food and beverage marketing is embedded in nearly every platform children use (websites, mobile apps, social media, video sharing, gaming, streaming TV), promoting unhealthy foods and beverages, which is harming children’s health. Healthy Eating Research convened an expert panel to develop evidence-based recommendations for actions to mitigate harms from digital food marketing to children MoreMarch 2024
Centering equity in FDA regulation: Front-of-package food label effects in Latino and limited English proficiency populations
This project aims to determine the front-of-package label design that is most effective at helping Latino consumers identify and choose healthier products. The project also aims to explore whether the benefits of front-of-package design differ by English proficiency. Participants will include 4,000 US adults of parental age (18-55 years old) who identify as Latino. Participants MoreFebruary 2024