title: Television food advertising to children: a global perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared television food advertising to children in several countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  We undertook a collaboration among 13 research groups in Australia, Asia, Western Europe, and North and South America. Each group recorded programming for 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days between 6:00 and 22:00, for the 3 channels most watched by children, between October 2007 and March 2008. We classified food advertisements as core (nutrient dense, low in energy), noncore (high in undesirable nutrients or energy, as defined by dietary standards), or miscellaneous. We also categorized thematic content (promotional characters and premiums).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Food advertisements composed 11% to 29% of advertisements. Noncore foods were featured in 53% to 87% of food advertisements, and the rate of noncore food advertising was higher during children's peak viewing times. Most food advertisements containing persuasive marketing were for noncore products.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Across all sampled countries, children were exposed to high volumes of television advertising for unhealthy foods, featuring child-oriented persuasive techniques. Because of the proven connections between food advertising, preferences, and consumption, our findings lend support to calls for regulation of food advertising during children's peak viewing times.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Council New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. bridgetk@health.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Jason C G
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Halford
authors.forename: Emma J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Boyland
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bautista-Castaño
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caroli
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Janine G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Coutinho
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Effertz
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grammatikaki
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pedley
authors.forename: Hillevi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prell
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Recine
authors.forename: Lluis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Serra-Majem
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Summerbell
mesh_terms: D000329:Advertising; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D019649:Food Industry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013690:Television