Mundane Monday

Fast Food Chains Aim Ads At Kids

- Results of a study released Monday by Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, the top twelve fast food restaurants spent $4.2 billion last year on marketing, much of it to children.

“There is a staggering amount of exposure to fast food advertising that begins when children are as young as 2,” says Jennifer Harris, of the Rudd Center. “Despite pledges to improve their marketing practices, fast food companies seem to be stepping up their efforts to target kids.”

McDonald’s has 13 Web sites, many aimed at children, and the sites get 365,000 visitors a month under the age of 12, study lead author Jennifer Harris said.

“They also have a site, Ronald.com, which is specifically targeted to preschoolers who can’t yet read or write,” she said, though the site says its activities are suitable for ages 3 to 7.

“One of the outcomes of food marketing to children is just that it’s constantly reminding them about the food and the unhealthy food that is usually marketed to them,” Harris said.

“We also think it makes them think that eating this kind of food is normal and expected and they should be able to eat McDonald’s all the time. We think it does definitely affect obesity in the long run.”

The study showed that of the 3,000-plus kids meals examined, just 12 met the nutritional criteria for preschoolers, and just 15 met the nutrition criteria set for older children. In fact, one single meal from most fast food restaurants contains at least half of young people’s daily recommended sodium.

Kelly Brownell, a co-founder and the director of the Yale center, stated. “We believe that children really are exposed to a massive amount of marketing for lots of unhealthy foods.”