AD BRAKE: RESEARCH INTO JUNK FOOD ADVERTISING AND CHILDREN

Dr Gillian RosenbergPolicy Research Centre for Cancer Prevention

Cancer Research UK

OUTLINE

1. Policy Research at Cancer Research UK

2. Advertising and Children

3. Ad Brake: Our Findings

4. Conclusions

CANCER RESEARCH UK

CRUK is the largest independent funder of cancer research in the world. We ae an outward-looking organisation and we’re proud of our global collaboration footprint.

We fund research into all 200 types of cancers.

We have always played a key role in informing policy debates in Brussels as we know that EU laws impact cancer patients in the UK and beyond. It is vital that the EU regulatory environment facilitates progress for cancer patients.

In recent years, our primary areas of focus have been the Tobacco Products Directive, the Data Protection Regulation and the Clinical Trials Regulation.

PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH

WHY ARE CHILDREN SO IMPORTANT

IMPORTANCE TO MARKETERS‘Children are important to marketers for at least three reasons:

1. They represent a large market in themselves because they have their own money to spend.

2. They influence their parents’ selection of products and brands

3. They will grow up to be consumers of everything; hence marketers need to start building up their brand consciousness and loyalty as early as possible.’

Foxall and Goldsmith (1994) Consumer Psychology for Marketers p203

IMPORTANCE TO SOCIETYThe WHO has recognised that protecting children needs to be a priority.

TACTICS USED BY MARKETERS TO APPEAL TO CHILDREN

CURRENT REGULATIONS IN THE UK

Restrictions already exist preventing junk food advertising during children’s TV shows

However most children watch television between 7pm and 8pm, when family programmes are typically shown and the current restrictions do not apply

AD BRAKE: STUDY DESIGN

EVIDENCE GAP: Provide current, relevant data to show that junk food TV ads influence children’s behaviours

INFORM POLICY: Highlight the influence of junk food TV ads on children to policy makers - despite the current regulations

METHODS

AIM To investigate how children engage with unhealthy food advertising on television

• Children aged 8-12

• 4 English schools, 2 Scottish schools

• 25 focus groups, 137 children in total

KEY FINDINGS: TEMPTATION

KEY FINDINGS: NUTRITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

KEY FINDINGS: PESTER POWER

KEY FINDINGS: ADVERT VIEWING TIMES

“I watch TV with my dad about seven o'clock because my, because my dad's not there in the day and I'm at school and that's the only times we really watch it together.” (Girl, Year 4)

“We watch telly and then we turn it off to go to bed so they're normally on around...from 7 up to 9.” (Girl, Year 6)

KEY FINDINGS: IMPACT OVER TIME

SHORT TERM “It kind of makes you feel like hungry because you think...when you see something tasty on TV it makes you ‘Oh I wish I had that’” (Boy, Year 6)

MEDIUM TERM “I saw this sweet cake I'd like ... and my mum was sitting next to me, and I was like, 'You've got to buy that by tomorrow.'” (Boy, Year 4)

LONG TERM “Like me and my family always go out shopping on Saturday, so usually if I see [sweet] I remember that advert and I buy them.” (Girl, Primary 7)

CONCLUSIONS

This study has shown that, despite current regulations, children are still engaging with junk food advertising on television and it is influencing their behaviour.

As a consequence, if public health policy aims to reduce the intake of junk food in the UK in the future, young people’s current exposure to junk food adverts will need to be addressed.

JUNK FREE TV CAMPAIGN

Removal of junk food advertising from TV before the 9pm watershed to reduce children’s obesity