Food marketing is something everyone is exposed to every day—especially kids. Companies use TV ads, youth-directed packaging, outdoor signs, and sponsorships to promote products, as well as digital marketing via social media campaigns, in-game marketing, and paid promotions from influencers to target kids directly. Food marketing is even in online educational resources for kids.
We rarely stop to think about it, but we should. The power of food marketing cannot be understated: it influences attitudes, preferences, and consumption; it reaches the youngest of ages; and it targets specific audiences, making exposure to unhealthy food promotion greater for some than others. In my 10+ years studying the amount and frequency with which people are exposed to food marketing, particularly children, and the poor nutrition of the products promoted, I’ve learned that we need substantial change in order for children to live longer, healthier lives in a more equitable food environment.
Late last year, the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Health released a report on U.S. food companies’ targeted marketing of food and drinks to Black and Hispanic consumers. Previous reports have documented how products in primarily unhealthy categories—including fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and sweet and salty snacks—are disproportionately promoted to Black and Hispanic audiences. Such efforts contribute to diet-related health disparities affecting communities of color, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.