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Rudd Center Recent Publications
Preschoolers Still See TV Food Commercials Even Though Companies
Promised Not to Direct Their Advertising to Children Under 6
Preschool children ages
2 to 5 continue to view TV ads for foods and beverages daily, revealing
a loophole in major food companies' pledges that they will not direct
any advertising to children under 6, according to a new study by the
Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of
Connecticut.
The study, published in the journal Appetite,
also showed that the advertisements appeal to children under 6 as much
as they appeal to older children (ages 6-11) who companies say they are
directing their ads towards. In addition, preschoolers were less likely
to have tried the advertised products before seeing the ads, which
research has shown makes them more susceptible to the influence of these
ads.
"Our new research findings demonstrate that preschool-age children
frequently view TV food ads and are likely highly influenced by ads that
food and beverage companies have pledged to protect them from," said
Jennifer Harris, Director of Marketing Initiatives at the Rudd Center
and lead author of the study.
Child development experts have concluded that advertising to children
under 6 is unfair as they do not have the cognitive ability to
distinguish advertising from other types of information and thus cannot
counteract its influence. As a result, they recommend that preschool-age
children should be protected from advertising in any form.
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Rudd Center in the News
HealthDay featured our study showing that children under 6 are still
seeing TV ads for foods and beverages in a Dec. 15 article: Think Little Kids Are Safe From Food Ads? Think Again.
The piece was picked up by several other health-related media outlets,
including Doctors Lounge, MedicineNet and MedlinePlus, which has a
potential audience of nine million.
UConn Today and the Hearst CT newspapers also carried a piece about our study of TV advertising and young children.
The Washington Post featured comments from UConn Rudd Center Director Marlene Schwartz in a Dec. 5 article: Food-makers are taking salt and sugar out of food. But they’re adding fat.
Our study showing food swamps are better predictors of obesity rates
than food deserts was highlighted in a Dec. 28 article in The Atlantic: Food Swamps Are the New Food Deserts.
The recent American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on weight
stigma, co-authored by UConn Rudd Center Deputy Director Rebecca Puhl,
was the subject of reports by PopSugar, KUSA 9 - NBC TV, in Denver, CO, and WEAU 13 - NBC TV, in Eau Claire, WI.
Moneyish, an independent news platform within Dow Jones Media Group, highlighted comments by Dr. Puhl in a Dec. 11 article: Only 15% of hiring managers would consider hiring an overweight woman.
Our image gallery featuring non-biased portrayals of individuals with
obesity was featured in a Dec. 7 Health News Review article: How to communicate about obesity without promoting stigma.
Jennifer Harris, UConn Rudd Center Director of Marketing Initiatives,
and Bettina Elias Siegel, who blogs about children and food policy at
The Lunch Tray, published an opinion piece based on our FACTS 2017
report - on Medium and The Lunch Tray: Food Marketing: Still Serving Our Kids Unhealthy Options
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What's Simmering With Our Friends
New book "reveals the hidden mental processes
that secretly govern every aspect of our behavior"
Before You Know It - The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do, by
Dr. John Bargh, explores his research into "how the unconscious guides
our actions, goals, and motivations in areas like race relations,
parenting, business, consumer behavior and addiction." Bargh was PhD
advisor to Jennifer Harris, Rudd Center Director of Marketing
Initiatives, and his book cites her dissertation study and our Center:
"We showed the power of ads on eating behavior in a study led by
Jennifer Harris of the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity." He
describes two studies in which adults as well as children watched a TV
show that was edited to include food ads or not. Both children and
adults ate considerably more snacks when there were food ads in the
show. "Food ads, then, act like unconscious behavioral suggestions and
can influence our eating and other consumption, especially if we are not
aware of their power over us," he concludes.
Bargh is the James Rowland Angell Professor of Psychology at Yale University. The book was published in October.
2017 Voices for Healthy Kids Progress Report
Voices for Healthy Kids, a joint initiative of the American Heart
Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has released Making Each Day Healthier for All Children: 2017 Progress Report. The
report highlights progress in the advocacy movement, including policy
wins and a behind-the-scenes look at campaigns to increase health
equity, improve access to healthy foods and physical activity, and
improve the places where families live, learn, work, and play.
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Kristen Cooksey-Stowers, Postdoctoral Fellow
Grew up in: Chicago
Area of Rudd Center research/work: Improving nutrition and alleviating health inequities in food banks and food pantries, and other healthy food policy projects.
Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Equitable and just
Favorite healthy snack: Fresh fruit smoothies
Favorite place to eat with friends: Potlucks
Guilty pleasure: Watching the TV show Scandal |
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Sally Mancini, Director of Advocacy Resources
Grew up in: Philadelphia suburbs
Area of Rudd Center research/work: Knowledge broker of Rudd Center research
Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Health-promoting
Favorite healthy snack: Healthy trail mix
Favorite place to eat with friends: Zohara - Mediterranean restaurant in West Hartford, CT
Guilty pleasure: Flavored coffee creamer
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Rebecca Puhl, Rudd Center Deputy Director, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Grew up in: Ontario, Canada
Area of Rudd Center research/work: Weight stigma
Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Bias-free, respectful
Favorite healthy snack: Hummus and carrots
Favorite place to eat with friends: Rudd Center monthly potlucks
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Marlene Schwartz, Rudd Center Director, and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
Grew up in: Columbia, MD
Area of Rudd Center research/work: School wellness policies, school meals, the food banking system/food pantries, and improving nutrition in those
Describe the food system you're trying to create for kids: Make the healthy choice the easy choice; surround kids with healthy, delicious food
Favorite healthy snack: Siggi's yogurt
Favorite place to eat with friends: G-Zen vegan restaurant in Branford, CT
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Rudd Center Legislation Database
Our database includes the latest
legislation and policies from the 2017 state legislative and federal
congressional sessions. This database tracks state and federal policies
related to access to healthy food, breastfeeding, farms and gardens,
school nutrition, physical activity, food assistance programs, food
marketing to children, menu and package labeling, and weight bias. Check
it out here and request to receive our monthly legislation email update here. |
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Resources to Address Weight Bias
Improving Obesity Care Continuing Medical Education (CME) Course
Developed by the UConn Rudd Center for Food
Policy and Obesity and the University of Connecticut School of
Medicine, this free, one-hour, online accredited course is for health
professionals (clinicians, nurses, social workers and dietitians, and
trainees) to improve the quality of care for patients with overweight
and obesity, and help reduce weight stigmatization in clinical settings.
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