Food: Data

Deconstructing Ads For Snack and Junk Food Which Target Young Children

Written and produced by Frank Baker, Copyright 2004

Some data from Common Sense Media Newsletter (10/15/04)

1. Over the last 30 years the rate of childhood obesity has tripled among youngsters aged 6 to 11 and has doubled for those aged 2 to 5 and 12 to 19.
2. The risk of obesity for a preschooler jumps 6% for every hour of television watched per average day.
3. Saturday morning children’s TV shows average at least one food commercial every five minutes.
4. If there’s a television in a preschooler’s bedroom, the child’s risk for obesity jumps 31% per every hour watched.
5. 1/4 of all kids under the age of 2 have their own TVs in their bedrooms.
6. An average child sees 30,000 commercials every year for junk food.
7. Junk food is widely available in schools across the country.