NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Television advertisements aimed at children have shifted in the past 25 years to promote larger portion sizes and more high-fat foods, researchers reported Wednesday at the American Heart Association's Asia Pacific Scientific Forum in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"The focus on children's diets has shifted from the concern over high-sugar foods to high-fat foods," lead author Dr. Marlene M. Most, a registered dietitian and an associate professor of research at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told Reuters Health.

With the rate of obesity among children on the rise, some research has indicated that one possible factor could be heavy television viewing replacing exercise. The content of the TV advertisements could be a factor, Most noted.

"The fact that kids are sitting in front of the TV set, being inactive, might be contributing to their obesity," she said. "My study can't say that's what's happening, but if they do consume the foods they're watching and not getting a balanced diet, it could be."

Most and colleagues compared nearly 3,000 television ads aired on the major networks during Saturday morning cartoon shows in 1976, 1984, 1992 and 2001. Most recently, they analyzed commercials aired during a 3-hour time period for 10 weeks. The ads were studied for the type of product being promoted, as well as the nutritional content of the foods.

The researchers found that while sugar-laden breakfast cereals were the most popular products aired decades ago, today, a nearly equal number of ads are hawking cereal, fast-food restaurants or beverages. However, the generally poor nutritional quality of the food being advertised has changed little since concerns were first raised in the 1980s, she said.

For example, although more beverages being advertised were fruit drinks, many of those contained high levels of sugar or sodium, she noted. Milk commercials, a healthy alternative, began airing in the 1980s, but are still not a match for the number of soft drink commercials.

"There were one third as many milk commercials as soft drink commercials (aimed at teens), and that mirrors the consumption patterns," she noted.

Another trend was that the portion sizes of the food advertised to children seemed to be on the rise, paralleling the similar trend of "super-sizing" in adults' portions.

"People don't know what a portion size is anymore," Most noted. "Now, we're making it difficult for children to know."

She advised parents to make sure their children get a balanced diet low in fat and including fruits and vegetables.

"Parents have to make sure their children don't eat just what they see on TV," Most said. "Kids need to learn consumer behavior--that what they see on TV and the commercials is not always the best thing. You have to make (dietary) decisions based on foods that aren't necessarily advertised."

Reference Source 89

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