Dear Rich, In the battle for childrens health, when it comes to junk food marketing, we often hear that parents should just turn off the TV. The problem is that junk food is advertised to kids everywhere - not just on TV. As soon as kids leave the house they come into contact with junk food ads on buses, smart phones, video games, billboards on playgrounds and near schools, the radio, and the Internet. All these places run ads for junk food targeting kids. On top of that, in the supermarket, their favorite characters adorn packages of unhealthy foods. Its like a full frontal assault. Parents cant be everywhere and marketers know that. According to the American Psychological Association, Most children under age 6 cannot distinguish between programming and advertising and children under age 8 do not understand the persuasive intent of advertising. [1] Marketers also know exactly when, where and how to access the eyes and ears of children. On their own, the only way that parents can shield their children from harmful junk food ads would be to cover their eyes and ears from the time they leave home until they return. Thats not realistic. Nickelodeon is the biggest childrens media outlet. Join us in asking them to help parents out and stop marketing junk food to children. action.momsrising.org/go/3516?t=5&akid=4862.2051524.zd8NwR Why Nickelodeon? A 2013 Yale Rudd Center study of advertising on children’s television stations found that “Nickelodeon was responsible for more than one-quarter of food ads viewed by children 8 and younger. In addition, one Nickelodeon program, SpongeBob SquarePants, delivered 12% of all food ads viewed by 2- to 5-year olds and 11% of ads viewed by 6- to 8-year olds.” [2] Its like its Joe Spongebob. What!? Remember Joe Camel? He was a Smooth Character, a colorful, grinning cartoon camel, who smoked Camel cigarettes. He was everywhere - on TV, billboards, and playgrounds. While parents urged children and teens to not take up smoking, Joe Camel enticed them to start. In 1997, because of concerns that Joe Camel unfairly targeted children, Joe Camel was forced into retirement, but his legacy lives on. Today, companies, like Nickelodeon, use cartoon characters that appeal to children in ways that may promote unhealthy food choices, sabotaging parents’ attempts to develop healthy eating habits in their children. The solution isnt for parents to just turn off the TV. Its time for a change! Consider these facts: A Federal Trade Commission report found that companies spent $1.79 billion in 2009 on advertising food to kids. [3] Almost 1 in 3 young people is at risk for nutrition-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. [4] Join us in demanding corporate responsibility! Moms and dads must stand up for children and tell Nickelodeon to do the right thing and adopt strong nutrition standards for advertisements and marketing through all of their child-directed media! Nickelodeon, unlike Disney and other companies, does not yet require all advertisers to meet nutrition guidelines. [5] Its time for Nickelodeon to get with the program. Join us in telling them its time for a change: action.momsrising.org/go/3516?t=7&akid=4862.2051524.zd8NwR Thank you. Together we are a strong voice for healthy kids and families, - Monifa, Karen, Migdalia, dream and the entire MomsRising.org team
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 02:33:42 +0000
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