This is a guest post by Tim Burns, Head of Waste Watch.
In 2009, the children’s marketing sector was worth £100bn - and it's still growing. A significant portion of this total is spent on food marketing, predominantly promoting energy dense, low-nutrient food and beverages - typically unhealthy for children, but marketed to exaggerate health claims - and messaging (often with the help of celebrities) to suggest popularity, performance and mood.
There is worrying evidence of the impact advertising can have on children's dietary behaviours. One study, for example, showed that children exposed to junk food advertising ate 45% more junk food than children not exposed during the trial[i]. Furthermore, the Hastings Review found evidence that advertising can have an effect upon the nutritional knowledge, food preferences, purchasing behaviour and diet of children.
But can marketing influence beyond behaviours to our values and identity? Read more