Ban on Fast-Food Ads Would Cut Childhood Obesity 18% 7 comments
-
Font Size:
-
Print
- TweetThis
A US ban on fast-food advertisements during children’s programming would reduce the number of overweight children (age 3-11) in America by 18%, and would lower the number of overweight adolescents (age 12-18) by 14%, according to a largest-of-its-kind study conducted for the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and carried out by university economists, measured the number of weekly hours of fast-food advertising messages on American TV viewed by children and found a definitive link between these TV ads and the incidence of childhood obesity.
In addition to proving that fast-food commercials do indeed make children fatter, the research discovered that such ads have a pronounced effect on males than on females.
The study also found that the elimination of tax deductibility tied to advertising would similarly produce declines in childhood obesity, albeit at a smaller rate of five to seven percent. Advertising is considered a business expense and, as such, it can be used to reduce a company’s taxable income, the study said. The authors deduce that, since the corporate income tax rate is 35%, the elimination of the tax deductibility of food advertising costs would be equivalent to increasing the price of advertising by 54%.
Such an action would consequently result in the reduction of fast-food advertising messages by 40% for children, and 33% for adolescents, the authors said.
Though such a ban on fast-food ads would be effective, the authors question whether such a high degree of government involvement - and the costs of implementing such policies - is a practical option.
The only other countries in the world that have banned commercial sponsorship of children’s programs - to date - have been Sweden, Norway and Finland, according to the study.
“We have known for some time that childhood obesity has gripped our culture, but little empirical research has been done that identifies television advertising as a possible cause,” said Shin-Yi Chou, a professor at Lehigh University’s College of Business and Economics. “Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America’s obesity epidemic.”
About childhood obesity: According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has become a major health epidemic in the United States. The CDC estimates that, between 1970 and 1999, the percentage of overweight children age 6-11 more than tripled to 13%. Adolescents between ages 12 and 19 also saw a significant increase in obesity, reaching 14%.
An overweight child or adolescent is defined as one having a Body Mass Index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile based on age- and gender-specific growth charts. According to the study, research indicates that there is an 80% chance an overweight adolescent will be an obese adult and that more than 300,000 deaths can be attributed to obesity and weight in the United States every year.
About the study: The study is based on the viewing habits of nearly 13,000 children using data from the 1979 Child-Young Adult National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, both issued by the US Department of Labor. It was co-authored by Chou and fellow economists Inas Rashad of Georgia State University and Michael Grossman of City University of New York Graduate Center. Each of the co-authors is an economist with NBER. It was published last month in the Journal of Law and Eco
Related Articles
|
-
The Seeking Alpha 100
See allThe top 100 stock
market authors
selected for publication
Seeking Alpha 100 » -
Fastest Climbers
Authors with the largestSee all
increase in followers
in the last 7 days
Fastest Climbers » -
Top Commenters
Top commenters,See all
as ranked by their peers
Top Commenters » -
Top Instabloggers
The 100 most active
Instabloggers.-
1
David Fry
-
2
TraderMark
-
3
Don Dion
-
4
Cliff Wachtel
-
5
Mike Havrilla
Top Instabloggers » -
1
-
Top StockTalkers
TopSee all
StockTalkers.
Top StockTalkers »
This article has 7 comments:
Here are a few suggestions to reduce childhood obesity:
1. Put physical education back in schools.
2. Limit the time your children can watch TV or be on the computer.
3. Teach them how to play games such as hide n go seek, kick the can and tether ball.
4. Take your kids on a bike ride or a hike.
A little common sense and parental leadership can save money and lives.
A similar meal at Fridays or Applebees type restuarant contains nearly DOUBLE the calories and sugars that McD, BK, and Wendy's contain - which suprisingly is not as high as people would think. Ive read stories about DairyQueen and Ice Cream shops whose special sundaes (which are SNACKS not meals) contain nearly as much in one indiviudal/shake as an entire value meal at BK. Should we ban adversiting to them too?
There is no link between ads and obesity. There is a link, between irresponsible eating and lack of excersize, and parents are to blame too. How could a kid who is not even active be given money so he can buy fast food whenever he wants? The parents provide the meals for kids. If you see your childs eating habbits going down the drain and the kid not excersizing and being obese - why cant the parents handle situation at home? A parent controls a kids diet as they are buying the food or preparing it in the household.
What about snacks? Snacking is also big time cause of obesity...A kid that sits in between meals in front of a computer with a bag of chips (which are absolutley massive in the USA) and eats more than just the "serving size" on the back (we all pig out sometimes right?) he is eating the equivalent of over a single meal of fast food. Not to mention soda's which are plain addictive qualities and are drank in schools, sometimes several cans a day. Most American households with kids have sodas always in the fridge. To single out a meal that is fatty vs the snacks that are unecesary habbits of these children sometimes adding up in a single day to being way worse for these kids is totally ridiculous.
I do realize this is just hypothetical study...Still....The idea a ban on fast food advertising is utterly ridiculous!
All above points made by comments, excellent and agreed. A few more:
Go to any food served orientation in this country, not just fast food, and by and large the portions are humongous! Not so in Europe, where overweight is not rampant as in this country. More for your money portions to attract the consumer, and also the "free refills", and, aargh! Obesity.
Another thought. I completely agree with the comments regarding the lack of exercise. Add to this, children can't just go rambling like they could when I was a kid. We could go hiking, rambling, exploring, walk for blocks to see a pal, the list goes on and on. Kids don't have that freedom anymore, It's not safe. Parents DO resort to entertainment values to keep the kids occupied while they need to get x,y, and z done. Plus, both parents work now, or it's a singe-parent household. Life is harder in SOME ways.
PHys Ed programs lax? Yep, again! Recently a teacher friend who retired at 70 years of age stated that she would NEVER become a teacher if she were starting out now. She had to mark 1500 boxes for every subject for every student every grading period. They were kindergardners. And teaching is about teaching to take tests, not learning. Teaching is one of the most honorable professions, and it's not what it used to be!
Television and commercials as sole blame, not that easy.
Studies miss so much.