There has also been debate around the exposure of food marketing to children. A survey of advertising to children in 13 countries reported that Australia has the highest number of television food advertisements per hour during children’s viewing hours (Dibb, 1996).
It has been argued that fast food marketers have recognised that children are vulnerable to food messages portrayed through television advertisements, with food advertising affecting the choices and amounts of foods consumed ( Neville et al, 2005). It is also believed that Food marketing intentionally targets children who are too young to distinguish advertising from truth and induces them to eat high-calorie, low-nutrient junk foods (Nestle, 2006). For these reasons television advertisements for fast food products can be exceptionally persuasive and generally target younger children. Television advertisements are blamed for the rising consumption of fast foods by younger generations (Neville et al, 2005).
The majority of foods advertised during children’s television viewing hours are low in nutrient density and conflict with current recommendations for a healthy diet (Dibb, 1996). Previous Australian studies indicate that television advertisements for foods high in fat and sugar make up approximately one half of all food advertisements (Hill & Radimer, 1997). Fast food products alongside confectionary advertisements have been reported to be the most advertised categories on Australian television during children programs or viewing times(Young Media Australia,1997).
Although television is the primary medium used for advertising fast food TO children, it has also been mentioned that fast food marketers are finding multiple other techniques to influence food product purchase. These include in-school marketing, product placements, kids clubs, the Internet, toys and products with brand logos, and youth-targeted promotions, such as cross-selling and tie-ins (French, 2004).
The above research supports the idea that some forms of marketing increases the risk of obesity, which cannot be rejected (Nestle, 2006). However, other research suggests that responsibility for the trends of obesity does not solely belong to fast food marketers.
Fast food marketers are simply responsible for marketing their products. They encourage and entice the public to consume their products. This is achieved through the use of persuasive catchy advertisements and clever promotional strategies whilst remaining within legal, economic and social responsibilities.
Fast food marketers have also been promoting and raising money for charities. Such activities include things such as McDonalds Restaurants Australia donating 1.3 million dollars for seriously ill children and raising 12 million dollars for Ronald McDonald house charities (Pride et. al, 2007, pp 95).
Other social responsibility activities include some food and drink manufacturers withdrawing from advertising less healthy products to children unless they provide beneficial nutrients while staying within limits on calories, fat, salt and sugar (Samson, 2005). Fast food companies who are complying with this includes Mc Donald’s who now provides healthier alternatives to unhealthy food choices such as animal zoo happy meals™ which include pasta, milk and a happy meal toy.
The fast food industry generally appears to achieve philanthropic and ethical responsibilities to society. These responsibilities can sometimes be over turned as the industry provides unhealthy food to society which can be viewed as a flaw to these responsibilities. Fast food marketers should not be blamed for the rising trends of obesity as they are only effectively and efficiently marketing to society.
The recent rise in obesity has been associated with several other factors besides marketing. These include education, country of birth, household income, occupation and women in the workforce, physical activity and sedentary lifestyles are all potential risk factors for obesity.
Zywicki (2004) states that there are four main reasons for the increase in consumption of fast foods;
(1) long-run technological change has led to a steady decrease in the relative cost of food and an increase in the relative cost of physical activity; (2)more recent technological innovations have made the centralised preparation of fast food and convenience food possible, which has in turn lowered the time cost of food; (3) women’s increased labor force participation has increased their value of time and thus prompted greater demand for convenience food and fast food; and (4) pervasive food advertising has increased the demand for those advertised foods, which are typically calorie dense (Zywicki et al, 2004).
An increase in women in the work force has decreased the amount of leisure time for families. This in turn has decreased the participation in exercise and sport, encouraging sedentary lifestyles for families. The fast-food industry is responding to this important social pressure which leads to people eating more outside of the house (Zywicki et al, 2004).
A recent report found that people spend six times more time watching television than they do exercising or participating in sports (French et al, 2001). Not only has watching television increased but playing video games and using the computer have also increased. There is also a reduction of people who are walking or riding bikes for transportation, impacting on the health of modern society (French et al, 2001). These Sedentary behaviors are a major factor for the rise in obesity. People are consuming more energy that they burn and therefore increasing the potential of obesity (Coon, 2002). These statements reveal that only individuals/families are responsible for their own physical activity levels and diets. Hence they are responsible for there own health.
The Australian government should also be accountable for the rising trends of obesity. Regulatory approaches exist in some countries to restrict advertising during children’s viewing hours, which should also be firmly adopted in Australia. In Sweden, television advertising to children under the age of 12 years is banned on the basis that children of this age are unable to distinguish between program content and the persuasion of advertisements (Neville et al, 2006). However, the food and advertising industries argue that the ban has failed to influence rising obesity rates in Sweden, although the rates there are not rising as rapidly as in unregulated economies (Neville et al, 2006).
The government obviously has the power to regulate the advertising industry, minimising the amount of fast food advertising that children, families and individuals are exposed to. The extent to which such a ban will slow down obesity rates in Australia is not known as there was not a significant change in Sweden. This may well be evidence that fast food marketers should not be held responsible as fast food may be purchased regardless of the marketing involved with the products.
The government also has the funding capabilities to promote educational food advertisements which encourage healthy eating habits. Although such campaigns are already taking place, they only make up a minority of all food advertisements.
Parents are adopting unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in Australian families. Parents are regularly providing and allowing their families/children fast food meals, due to the products convenience. It is also thought that advertising encourages demand by children, which puts pressure on parents to reject their demands (Zywicki 2004, pp 992). Over time, it is argued that parents eventually give in to some of these demands, causing increased consumption of junk food (Zywicki, 2004). However, it is parents’ responsibility to provide their children with healthy, nutritional meals. They should be encouraging their children to eat alternative meals instead of ‘giving in’ to their children’s requests.
Therefore the blame for the rise in obesity can not be put onto marketers alone. The fast food industry single-handedly should not be blamed for offering high-calorie, high-fat items, but the people who buy the food should also be blamed for purchasing it. Parents and government bodies are also responsible for the rising trends of obesity and the amount of advertisements that children and individuals are exposed to.
It is evident that two main factors of the rising trends of obesity are; poor eating habits and physical inactivity. This makes it apparent that fast food marketing is not the cause of obesity but it merely promotes food choices to the public. Fast food marketers do not control the amount or the type of food which is consumed by individuals. They are only doing their job, which can sometimes involve the promotion of unhealthy foods. Fast food marketers can not be blamed for the sedentary behavior that has assisted in the rise of obesity. Fast food marketers can only assume minimal responsibility for the trends of obesity. From this essay it is evident that Parents and the Australian government have as much responsibility for the rising trends of obesity as fast food marketers. Parents should be implementing healthy lifestyles within their homes whilst the government should be promoting the importance of physical activity and healthy eating habits.
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