From the website:

Studies show that children are much more likely to want to eat food that comes in branded packaging than food with no branding – even if it is the same product.

A study of 3 to 5 year olds showed that over 75% of children preferred French fries in McDonalds branded wrapping, compared to the just over 10% who preferred fries from plain packaging – the food was exactly the same!.  More info here; http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/161/8/792

The same study also showed that children with more TVs in their home were more likely to prefer the McDonalds-branded food packaging.  An extensive survey of the evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms this.

The WHO report on Marketing of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children explains that advertising promoting foods high in fat, sugar or salt directly influence children’s attitudes and behaviour – they want and ultimately eat these unhealthy foods.  This can be a direct influence with children buying the foods, sweets and drinks themselves or asking their parents for these foods.

Visit the website here: http://junkfoodgeneration.org

Download the World Health Organization report : WHO – Marketing Junk food to kids (PDF file)

From the article:
"Every week, in my weight management clinics at the hospital, I see parents who are trying their very hardest to look after the health of their kids" says Professor Baur. "By now, everyone has heard the alarming childhood obesity statistics. Parents are much better informed about healthy eating, and are trying to teach their children good nutritional habits. But how can they compete with slick, multi-million dollar marketing campaigns?

She dismisses suggestions that advertising doesn’t play a significant role in the diets of children. "Advertising does influence what kids want and therefore what parents buy – of course it does. Companies wouldn’t spend millions on it if it didn’t!"

Professor Baur points not only to television advertising, but to a range of marketing strategies from sponsorship of kids’ sporting events to "endorsements" of products by popular cartoon characters. She says that all levels of government have a role to play in supporting parents by introducing measures to restrict these marketing practices – and she isn’t alone.

The World Federation of Consumer Organisations, Consumers International, has this week released a new International Code on Marketing of Food and non-Alcoholic Beverages to Children, which is supported by the International Obesity Taskforce.

The Code calls for new government regulations to protect children and parents from the pressures of junk food marketing practices.

"This isn’t about being the "fun police", banning chocolate or soft drinks, or outlawing all forms of advertising" she says. "All we are asking is for some balance. Limiting the marketing of unhealthy food and drinks will give parents a better chance to teach their kids about responsible, healthy eating. We want to give children back to their parents. And that’s going to lead to happier families and healthier kids."

Full article here: http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=2199

The results speak for themselves.

You can visit the Consumer International website here: http://www.consumersinternational.org/

From the article:
As many as 66% of women and 52% of men have reported feelings of dissatisfaction or inadequacy regarding their body weight.[4] Sixty percent of girls in grades 9-12 are trying to lose weight, compared with 24% of boys.[4] The number-one wish of girls aged 11-17 is to lose weight.[5] Women are more likely to judge themselves as overweight when they are not, whereas men are the opposite.[6] Women who desire to lose weight are more likely to do so in the hopes of improving their appearance, whereas men who wish to lose weight are more likely to be concerned about their future health and fitness.[7]

Body-image distress is now classified as a psychological disorder. Five percent to 10% of females have an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia.[4] Male and female high school athletes are especially at risk for unhealthy weight-control behaviours, such as restricting food intake, vomiting, over-exercising, using diet pills, inappropriately taking prescribed stimulants or insulin, and using nicotine.[8] Some adolescents dehydrate by restricting fluid intake, spitting, wearing rubber suits, taking daily steam baths and/or saunas, and using diuretics or laxatives.[8]

Consequences of abnormal weight-loss behaviours include delayed maturation, impaired growth, menstrual irregularities or loss of menses, increased rates of infection, eating disorders, and depression. Alternatively, such behaviours can be a sign of depression or verbal, physical, or sexual abuse.[9,10]
Media images have contributed to a misguided perception of the "ideal" body. Today, models weigh 23% less than average women; in 1986 it was only 8%.[11] Modelling schools for teens create unrealistic expectations. Only a very "select" few models achieve financial success (of these select few, beginners earn $1500 per day, those in the top tier $25,000 per day, and supermodels $100,000 or even more per day).

The full story:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/571497_print

Further Reading:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/skinny-fat/

From the article:

The global epidemic of Type 2 diabetes is an indicator of serious underlying issues in our society, says a University medical expert.

“People think of this as an issue of individual responsibility – you’re overweight, you’ve got diabetes, it’s your fault. But it just isn’t,” said Associate Professor Bruce Neal.

“You are overweight because you live in a society that make it easy for you to be overweight, that bombards you with advertising about the wrong kinds of foods, that doesn’t make it easy for you to lose weight,” said Professor Neal.

More than 250 million people worldwide have Type 2 diabetes, and the numbers are growing rapidly. Most will eventually die or be disabled by the complications.

“Diabetes is an indicator of serious underlying issues in our society,” he added. “We have to get governments much more engaged in addressing the reasons why we have this epidemic. Unless they take a more active role it is not going to go away. It is not going to get better. In fact it is going to get much worse.”

The global study followed 11,140 people for four and a half years. They were recruited from more 200 centres in 20 countries around the world.

“Type 2 diabetes is a massive problem around the world, and on average, someone with diabetes lives 5 to 10 years less than someone who doesn’t have Type 2 diabetes. It causes a huge economic burden, and in particular the complications that we were preventing in this study are a major cost to the health system.

And now for my opinion:

Firstly, we need to educate people about Diabetes prevention.  This however, is no small task – considering it’s at direct opposition to multi-million dollar corporations who have the best marketing (propaganda) tools at their disposal.

Additionally, the grain industry is massively subsidised by the government (which is of little surprise considering the export dollars garnished) and grains are a big part of the diabetes equation.

Some people may ask; Why should we educate the people?  Aren’t they already aware they’re eating junk, it’s just a willpower thing?

The answer is NO!  Junk food is being heavily marketed as health food.  For example; Cereal, Low-Fat Yoghurt, Muesli Bars etc.

This is not a case of willpower, it’s a case of deliberate profiteering by large corporations who absolutely refuse to acknowledge any link with Diabetes.

So how do we educate the people?  The answer lays somewhere between “guerilla media” and ”tell a friend”.

To educate yourself, search diabetes on Google.  Learn to think for yourself – do not automatically give trust to whatever the billboards or TV ads are telling you.

I’m not even asking you to trust me – that’s up to you.  Do the research and find out for yourself… empower yourself.

Feel free to challenge me or ask me questions in the comments section below – we may all learn something.

Link to full article: The University of Sydney

“It  appears  to  us  that Mainland’s  compliance with  advertising restrictions is as dubious as the nutritional content of their snack!” stated Bridget Kelly in her article in the Prevention Research Centres Newsletter.

I agree with Bridget, and although I am not in favour of excessive government restrictions on advertising, I am in favour of creating awareness about the deceitful nature of some food corporations.

I would like to see a day were consumers are empowered with enough knowledge about health, that it renders unscrupulous food advertising impotent.  And I believe the starting point is you and me, right now… vote with your wallet, and put these advertising tricks out of commission.

Source: COO Prevention Research Centres Newsletter

The NSW Centre for Public Health Nutrition have released a report outlining the recent rends in obesity related behaviors.  It clearly shows that children’s intake of high-sugar foods and drinks have risen sharply.

What is particularly interesting is that the consumption of high-sugar foods and drinks has risen substantially for children, and not for adults.

So what could cause an increase for children, and not for adults? Well to me the answer is dreadfully clear; marketing.

The article supports this assertion;

“Similarly, advertising pressures, access to appropriate food choices, school food policies, nutrition information and labelling all potentially influence food selection.

In Australian society today there is also a large commercial drive to promote products that contribute to obesogenic behaviours (food is the most advertised product on television). The economic imperative (ie profits) behind these promotions creates a challenge…”

Remember this every time you go shopping;  Food corporations do NOT care about you or your children’s health.  They exist for one reason only; to make money.

Full Report is here: NSW Centre for Public Health Nutrition

<< Click on the image (left) to see a detailed view.

Here are more disturbing facts from the report;

• The frequency of advertisements for sugared drinks was more than twice as high during children’s viewing hours compared with non-children’s viewing hours.
• The viewing period with the highest proportion of food advertisements for high fat/high sugar foods was during weekend children’s viewing times. During this time, high fat/high sugar advertisements comprised 52.7% of all food advertisements.

Food corporations are profiting at the expense of children’s health.  And the government guidelines for regulation clearly lack efficacy. But we can fight back by hurting unscrupulous food corporations where it hurts most; their net profit.  Every time we choose a healthy product over a non-healthy product – we take the power back.

Sources: The NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity

“Health experts have joined forces to lobby political parties on childhood obesity in the lead-up to the federal election.

VicHealth, the Cancer Council, and Diabetes Victoria have launched the Obesity Policy Coalition.

Its election agenda includes calls for a GST on high-sugar breakfast cereals, an overhaul of food labelling laws, and a ban on the marketing of unhealthy food to children.

Spokeswoman Jane Martin says they want to see a “traffic light” labelling system on all foods that shows green, orange or red symbols to indicate the levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat.

“Often products which are say 98 per cent fat free – which might be seen on confectionery – are very high in sugar, so we think it’s useful for people to see the whole story about the key nutrients,” she said.

“What consumers want to know about is fat, salt and sugar, often things that aren’t highlighted on the front of packs, particularly if they’re in high levels.”

The group is also calling for a mandatory “traffic light” colour coding system in place on food packages in Australia.

Red labels on a package would indicate a high level of fat, salt or sugar, yellow would indicate medium levels and green labels would be for low levels.  A similar system is being trialled by some supermarkets and manufacturers in Britain.

Ms Martin said the colour code system would make it easy for people to put the fat, sugar and salt in a food into context.

“We want to see a mandatory simple scheme that consumers understand that outlines the key elements of products including sugar, salt and fat,” she said.

“It gives them a better understanding of what’s in the food. If it’s 90 per cent fat free they will know it’s high in sugar. And that’s the kind of information that’s currently missing.”

But a spokeswoman for Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott said the Government did not have any plans to impose new taxes.

The head of Diabetes Australia (Victoria), Greg Johnson, said thousands of Australian children were growing fat on “junk food dressed up as breakfast cereals”.

Sources: www.abc.net.au - canberra.yourguide.com.au - www.theage.com.au

Source: Why You Don’t Want the “Experts” to Tell You What to Eat