Youth Obesity Linked to TV Fast Food Advertising

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A recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine examined the link between youth obesity and the receptiveness to TV fast food advertising.  Over 2,500 people in the U.S. between the ages of 15 and 23 were surveyed for this study. Respondents viewed a random subset of 20 advertisement frames (with brand names removed) selected from national TV fast-food restaurant advertisements and were then asked if they had seen the advertisement, if they liked it, and if they could name the brand (Auden, et al., 2013). In order to measure exposure and response, a fast-food advertising receptivity score was assigned. Those with higher receptivity scores were more likely to be obese.

            The researchers found that young people with obesity were significantly more likely to notice the fast food adds that they saw on TV than their non-obese peers. Those with obesity also were more likely to like and name the brand of fast food adds that they saw on TV. This is an important study because it looks at one possible factor of many that may affect one being overweight or obese. Obviously TV adds alone do not cause obesity, but this study shows that there may very well be a link between the advertisements we see and what we eat. It is important to note that this was a cross-sectional study, and researchers were not able to determine whether obesity or advertising receptivity came first. Future studies are definitely needed in order to better understand the link between food marketing and obesity risk (Auden, et al., 2013).


Reference:
Auden C. McClure, Susanne E. Tanski, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia, Zhigang Li, Zhongze Li, James D. Sargent. Receptivity to Television Fast-Food Restaurant Marketing and Obesity Among U.S. Youth. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2013; 45 (5): 560

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