Junk food commercials aimed at kids are on the decline but still high: study

Although food and drink advertising during children’s TV shows has decreased substantially over the past decade, research shows that kids are still seeing more than 1,000 food-related ads a year – most of them for unhealthy products.

University of Illinois Chicago researchers analyzed Nielsen TV ratings and advertising data from 2013 to 2022. They found that the number of food and drink commercials during programs for 2- to 5-year-olds fell 95.1% and 97% for 6- to 11-year-olds. 

That finding aligns with an ongoing pledge from food, beverage and restaurant companies to advertise only healthy products during children’s programming.  

However, the researchers also found that about 3 out of 5 of the remaining food and drink ads feature products high in saturated fat, trans fat, total sugars and/or sodium.

“The World Health Organization has recognized that reducing children’s exposure to unhealthy food and beverage advertisements is a key strategy for improving both children’s diets and health,” said Lisa Powell, UIC professor and director of healthy policy and administration in the university’s School of Public Health. 

The study was published in the JAMA Network Open.