Public Health in Oregon - Join The Conversation

maybe the current “Raise your hand for chocolate milk” campaign will be balanced out by the Nutrition Council of Oregon’s new anti-junk food ad campaign.

i hope the Council plans to study the impact of their campaign so there is proof of it’s usefulness and funders will further support such efforts.

McDonald’s knows better how to market to kids than public health.  The question that comes up for me is:  how or what can we learn from them?  They’ve got our target market.

the disparity between what the food industry has to spend on marketing and what public health related agencies have to spend on the same has become dangerous.  that $11 billion the food industry spends has become their weapon of choice in a deadly game for which we are currently ill-equipped.  but it doesn’t have to be that way.

i am a very reasonable person, but i don’t want to be a victim anymore.  of course, i can limit the amount of tv ads my children see and/or educate them about what ads are really about (if you ask, my children will tell you that commercials are basically lies).  but let’s face it, that will only get me and them so far.  so what else can i DO?

i can engage my legislators in a conversation (letter writing, phone calls) about what i think is imporatnt (please put limits on how the food industry can market to my children).  i can also vote with my pocketbook.

what else can we do???

One of the most insidious results of advertising on both the public health and the cost of health care for all americans, is the direct advertising of pharmaceuticals to the consumer.  Since this law was passed by a republican congress in the late 90’s the use of the advertised drugs has increased hugely, and the damage done by the inappropriate use of drugs too often insufficiently tested for safety is among the sad consequences.  I would hope that the Obama administration and the new Congress would act quickly to reverse this law.  It is not about free speech.  It is about expensive deceit.

I wonder if giving less of a tax break for junk food advertising $$ spent would work?  you know… only allow companies to write off 80% of the $$ they spend on advertising that negatively impacts our kids?  would be tough because it would be subjective.

and I fully agree!  no junk food ads in schools!

I agree that parents should teach their children how to eat well.  But, we parents are not the only influence on our kids!

Reducing junk food marketing will lead to better eating habits.  Let’s help all kids and tackle this issue together.  Maybe the first step is getting junk food marketing out of our schools.

Any other ideas for reducing junk food marketing?

As with any “good vs evil” discussion, parents have the responsibility of explaining the details to their children.  McDonald’s, Coco Puffs, candy bars and soda are “sometimes” food.  fresh produce, whole grains and most fish are “every day” foods.  why?  because I want you to grow up strong and healthy and live to be as old as Granny.  “But she eats lots of butter on her bread!”  yes, honey and she grew up eating home cooked, mostly organic meals, not processed, or fast foods.

Did I whine when my mom sent me to school w/ whole grain, homemade bread sandwich when all the other kids were eating Wonder bread?  sure.  am I thankful to them now?  YES!!!

And yes, a lot of $$ is spent on advertising these unhealthy foods, but they aren’t twisting my arm forcing me to buy, or consume it.  The responsibility is ours, individually.  and ours alone.  Teaching our kids the difference between what’s good for our bodies and what is not will go a whole lot further than any media/marketing $$.  IMHO.

I think that the comparison of the billboards is very instructive.  Obviously, McDonald’s knows better how to market to kids than public health.  The question that comes up for me is:  how or what can we learn from them?  They’ve got our target market figured out!

In a sense, yes, that accounts for the governmental programs nationwide in 2004 dedicated to promoting healthy foods and diets. This was originally cited in the Keeping Oregonians Healthy Report by DHS. According to the original report that DHS cited (Institute of Medicine, Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?, http://www.iom.edu/?id=31353) it simply states, “Total marketing investments by these industries have not been clearly identified, although advertising alone accounted for more than $11 billion in industry expenditures in 2004, including $5 billion for television advertising. Television remains the primary promotional vehicle for measured media marketing, but a shift is occurring toward unmeasured sales promotion, such as marketing through product placement, character licensing, special events, in-school activities, and advergames. In fact, only approximately 20 percent of all food and beverage marketing in 2004 was devoted to advertising on television, radio, print, billboards, or the Internet.” 

Furthermore,  aside from the aggressive funds dedicated to marketing ‘junk food”, children and adolescents are a major focus: “Between 1994 and 2004, the rate of increase in the introduction of new food and beverage products targeted to children and youth substantially outpaced the rate for those targeting the total market. An estimated more than $10 billion per year is spent for all types of food and beverage marketing to children and youth in America. Moreover, although some very recent public announcements by some in the industry suggest an interest in change, the preponderance of the products introduced and marketed to children and youth have been high in total calories, sugars, salt, and fat, and low in nutrients.”  How this marketing affects children and youth is the focus of this report. The process begins early in life. “Children develop consumer socialization skills as they physically and cognitively mature. Over the span of ages 2–11 years, they develop consumption motives and values as they are exposed to commercial activities; they develop knowledge about advertising, products, brands, pricing, and shopping; and they begin to develop strategies for purchase requests and negotiation.” The report also reviews several other studies to draw conclusions on the strength of the scientific evidence for the effect of marketing on food choice. It concludes that there is strong evidence that television advertising influences the food and beverage preferences AND requests of children ages 2–11years; the jury is still about the magnitude of influence over 12-18 year olds. Still, given these facts and the imbalance between the amount and quality of messages promoting unhealthy foods versus healthy foods, this is a part of the reason for high obesity rate among our kids.

The billboard up top is an example.  The top board is not as nearly fun and appealing as the cool looking, young woman holding two bags of yummy McDonald’s. Which message would you choose?

I’d love some clarification on this interesting statistic:  if ‘the food industry’ means the entire US, does the ‘Public health and other agencies’ also include all such agencies in the US? 
Thanks.