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 Deconstructing Ads For 
Snack and Junk Food 
 Which Target Young Children 

written and produced by Frank Baker, Copyright 2004

Related articles/background readings:

JANUARY 2012
Advergames Increase Junk Food Eating (Study)
 Look At The Difference Between Fast Food Ads And Real Menu Items

DECEMBER 2011
Guidelines for kids' food ads on hold

OCTOBER 2011
 Marketers Call for FTC to Scrap Food Guidelines
Political food fight over junk food ads to kids
 Fast food ads have more impact than parents, study suggests
 Food ads more persuasive than parents, study suggests

AUGUST 2011
 The Nag Factor: How Children Convince Their Moms To Buy Junk Food
 Junk food still stars in TV ads seen by kids
 Kids seeing fewer TV ads for sweets and snacks, study finds

JULY 2011
 Food companies propose cutting back on to junk food marketing aimed at children

JUNE 2011
Junk food ads really do make kids hungry for unhealthy meals
 U.S. Doctors: Ban Fast Food Ads on TV
Marketing Food To Kids With Cartoon Characters

MAY 2011
 Food fight: Feds aim to cut ads targeting kids

APRIL 2011
 U.S. Seeks New Limits on Food Ads for Children
 Advertisers Rebuke Obama Administration's Proposed Rules on Marketing Food to Kids
 Cartoon characters on cereal boxes may be influencing kids, new study finds

NOVEMBER 2010
 Fast-food restaurants target kids, study shows
 Fast Food Restaurants Market Non-Healthy Menu Items Heavily To Kids
Of Over 3000 Kids' Meal Combinations, Only 12 Seen As Healthy For Preschoolers
 Are Kids Prey For Fast Food Companies?

SEPTEMBER 2010
 Internet the new junk food battleground
 Most US kids see fewer food ads on television: study
FTC Subpoenas 48 Food Companies Regarding Marketing to Kids
Fast foods: ads vs reality

AUGUST 2010
 Sneaky Commercials: The Unconscious Way TV Makes You Eat
The power of persuasion: Food marketing works

JULY 2010
 Study: ads for fast food increase, decrease for sweets and cookies  

JUNE 2010
 Study: Cartoon Characters Attract Kids to Junk Food
 FTC Alleges False Advertising Of Rice Krispies
TV food advertisements promote imbalanced diets

MAY  2010
 U.S. Cracks Down on Marketing of Unhealthy Foods

MARCH 2010
 Food and entertainment companies get low marks for policies on marketing food to children
Food marketing to kids

FEBRUARY 2010
 More Licensed Characters and Other Packaging Promotions
Used to Market Less Nutritious Foods to Kids (Yale Study)
Junk food gets spotlight in many movies: study
 Study finds junk food ads, not TV, make kids fat

DECEMBER 2009
Study: Kids See Too Many Junk Food Ads

NOVEMBER 2009
Most Food Ads on Nickelodeon Still For Junk Food
Ads for unhealthy foods increase childhood consumption 45%

AUGUST 2009
 Study finds fatty foods, alcohol use often part of kids’ TV

JULY 2009
 TV Ads Trigger Mindless Eating

MAY 2009
Is that right? Frosted Mini-Wheats Keep Kids "Full & Focused"

MARCH 2009
New media, same old tricks – junk food websites are getting kids hooked

FEBRUARY 2009
What you should know about the food industry

JULY 2008
FTC Study: Kids target of $1.6 billion in food ads
 It's Official: Big Food Targets Kids

APRIL 2008
91% of Kids Ads Unhealthy

JULY 2007
 More Major Food Marketers Establish Kids-Advertising Limits;
 Limiting Ads of Junk Food to Children

JUNE 2007
Kellogg Agrees to Phase Out Some Food Ads to Children

MARCH 2007 New Study: Food: Top Product Seen Advertised by Children
(watch some of the TV commercials cited by the Kaiser report)

JULY 2006  Food companies lure kids with online games (Kaiser Study)

 Fast-food franchisees ask chains to tone down racy ads
 Online Games Influence Kids' Food Choices
 FDA warns Cheerios over health claims
 WONKA Brands Dropped From Kids Shows
 ANA: Kids Seeing Fewer Snack-Food Ads
 Despite Pledges, Nickelodeon Still Marketing Nutritionally Poor Food
 Burger King goes after moms with new ads  
 Child obesity seen as fueled by Spanish language TV ads
 Patterns: Children’s Ads on TV Push Sugar and Fat
 Survey Says: Kids TV Ad Diet High In Sweets, Fats & Salt
 Psychologists seek strict guidelines for fast-food ads
 Learn to be skeptical of online health information
 More Major Food Marketers Establish Kids-Advertising Limits;
 Limiting Ads of Junk Food to Children
 Encourage kids’ critical thinking on ads
 Media literacy essential for health kids
 Kellogg to Phase Out Some Food Ads to Children
 Advocacy Group Says Nick Should Ditch Junk Food Ads  (FTC report)
 TV Food Advertising Unchanged
 Protecting kids from online food ads
 FCC May Need To Regulate Food Ads
 TV food ads increase obese children's appetite by 134% (UK Study)
 Food for Thought: TV Food Advertising to Children in the US (Kaiser Study)
 Marketers, Media Get Chewed Out About Childhood Obesity
 M&M's maker to stop marketing to kids
 Do TV Ads Cause Childhood Obesity?
 General Mills Yanks Reduced-Sugar Cereal
 Do food ads make kids fat? Effort to limit commercials may be revived
 New Disney Rules Limit Character Use in Kids' Foods
 Food Ads Aim to Build Brand Loyalty in Preschoolers, Researcher Says  
 High-Fat Food Ads Target Toddlers
 FCC To Study Ads, Kids Weight Links
 Food Companies lure kids with online games (Kaiser study)
 In: fruit crisps, milk.Out: Twix, Coke.
 Industry Urged to Offer More Nutritious Foods for Children
 Ads May Explain Link Between TV Viewing & Overweight in Children
 Black oriented TV has more fast food ads
 HARKIN LAUNCHES FRESH ATTACK ON FAST FOOD
 Taco Bell Nation
 HOW KELLOGG IGNORED WARNING SIGNS OF FOOD LAWSUIT
 Kellogg Viacom Sued Over Junk Food Ads
 Under pressure: food makers shift to healthier options 
 IOM tells industry to stop marketing junk food to kids 
 Snack-food makers promote exercise, healthful diets for kids
 CARU Raises Hackles By Tightening Children's Ad Rules 
 Kids put nutrition in the picture 
 The Messenger Changes Tactics (Broadcasting/Cable)
 Critics say watchdog group too soft on advertising industry 
 McDonalds introduces nutrition labeling
 USDA unveils food pyramid for kids
 Sodas on the dietary hot seat
 Junk food more available in middle schools 
 California AG wants warning labels on fries, chips
 Food Landscape in TV: junk food ads (study)
 Junk food nation: who's to blame (The Nation)
 Cereal ads give apples a bad rap, critics say
 Powerful persuasion: can healthy ads balance the junk?
 Advocacy Group: Kellogg's Cereal Ad Misleads
 Study: junk food ads spur kids' obesity
 Fries with that fruit? 
 Various articles on FTC Kids' food ad hearings
 Grasp of media literacy is crucial to kids health
 Debate Over Soda Warnings: groups argue over limits on kids ads
  Food Makers Propose Tougher Guidelines For Children's Ads
  Food Marketers Up To Their Old Trix
  General Mills touts sugary cereals as healthy breakfast
  TV confuses children about which foods are healthy, new study finds 
  Aiming at kids: Pressure builds on foodmakers
  Articles: TV-obesity link
  School teaches healthy nutrition in preschool
  Childhood obesity fueled by marketing tactics
  Push grows to limit food ads to children
  A three Twinkies lunch
  Living in the fast food lane/Kids and caffeine
   Junk Food's Health Crusade: How Ronald McDonald Became a Health Ambassador
  When a food marketer helps devise nutrition advice
  FOOD ADVERTISING PUSHED INTO HARSH SPOTLIGHT
  Won't Ban Junk-Food Ads for Kids, US Official Says
  Sweet tips to give sugar the slip from kids' diets
  General Mills defends ads aimed at children
  Major food groups form lobby; Food execs say they're helping kids fight fat
  McDonalds Ads Target Children As Young As 4
  Do Ads Make Kids Fat?
  Kraft To Curb Junk Food ads aimed at kids (Jan. 2005)
  Marketing Food To Kids (Jan. 2005)
  National Geographic kids magazine packed with ads for foods 
and drinks that promote obesity and diabetes
  Yale Prof Examines Obesity Causes
  Junk Food Junkies
  Commentary: From Fat Nation to Fit Nation
  Twin child scourges: obesity and television
  Food-label rule proves to be a big ingredient for change
  Destiny's Child Lovin' McDonald's Deal
  NAS announces campaign on foods & obesity (Sept.30, 2004)
 Kill the messenger (June 2004)
  Psychologists urge limits on advertising to kids
 Don't blame ads: Kids view fewer food commercials; ANA, GMA studies released
  Ads Rapped In Child Obesity Fight | February 24, 2004
  Junk Food Ads contributing to Fat kids (AP, 2/24/2004) 
  Bombarded by Food Ads (Dec.2003)
  Pulling the Plug on Fat Ads (Aug. 2003)

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Site updated on: 01/12/2012