The Asparagus Ad Gap
Kerry Howley | March 28, 2007, 4:13pm
It's not that there are too many junk food ads aimed at kids, explain the authors of an important new study. It's that there aren't enough vegetable ads:
In a child's buffet of food commercials, more than 40 percent of the dishes are candy, snacks and fast food. Nowhere to be found: fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry or seafood.
Of food ads that targeted children, 34 percent were for candy and snacks, 29 percent for cereal, 10 percent for beverages, 10 percent for fast food, 4 percent for dairy products, 4 percent for prepared food and the rest for breads and pastries and dine-in restaurants.
In December 2005, the Institute of Medicine concluded that marketing practices from the food and beverage industry are out of balance with recommended diets for children and contribute to an environment that puts children's health at risk.
We now have data that conclusively shows kids are seeing an overwhelming number of ads for unhealthy food on all types of TV shows," Sen Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said. "The 'childhood obesity epidemic' isn't just a catch phrase. It's a real public health crisis."
So 40 percent of ads pitch products from a list of foods deemed unhealthy. According to Sen. Harkin, this shows--sorry, conclusively shows--that kids are overwhelmed. OK. Much, much more bizarre is the assumption that the proportion of ads should perfectly mirror the dietary needs of a healthy child. How exactly does this correlation work? Is one asparagus ad equivalent to one serving of vegetables? Does one pro-lettuce advertisement negate one Cookie Crisp ad? Apparently, one fitness-focused PSA is equivalent to one workout:
Children see few public service announcements compared to food ads. Children under 8 see one announcement on fitness or nutrition for every 26 food ads. For preteens, it's one announcement for every 48 food ads. And for teens, the ratio is one public service announcement for every 130 food ads.
That's right, kids: The way to stay slim and healthy is to watch nutritious television.
kevrob | March 28, 2007, 6:27pm | #
Pro-veggie propaganda I remember from my misspent youth:
Popeye's love for spinach.
The fruit salad on Carmen Miranda's hat, which inspired
Miss Chiquita and her jingle.
The Jolly Green Giant - and don't forget the Sprout! I can still sing that jingle.
Good things from the garden...
That commercial for a multigrain cereal (Team?) with the two farm families. One were Iowa corn farmers, the other Kansans who grew wheat. Each had a Dad who extolled the virtues of his crop, and a kid who kinda liked the other grain.
Kix, boldly bragging that they tasted good
without sugar. They float, too.
One thing about produce branding. There's always been some of it, if only when you bought by the bag or box. Did you want the Idaho potatoes, or the ones from Maine or Long Island? Washington apples, or New York? The Produce Guy arranges and prices the fruit by type (Delicious, Granny Smith, etc.) and the signs often tell you the state or country of origin. The state marketing boards advertise, if not to kids. Dole and Sunkist put stickers on their fruit, and Dole has gone into selling packaged salads. Then there are the co-ops that have significant brands, like Ocean Spray. The cranberry folks absorbed Indian River, the grapefruit people, 30 years ago. Fruit has some brands, even if the unbranded stuff dominates.
The entire
Justice League, baby Jesus and Ann-Margret could have endorsed onions when I was a kid, and I still wouldn't have eaten them.
I might eat an onion for Dana Delany. Maybe. I'm not promising, just blue-skying, y'understand.
Kevin
Karen | March 28, 2007, 9:41pm | #
Count me among those who didn't learn vegetables came in colors until I left home. I thought they were all mushy gray glop, because that's how all my Southern relatives cooked them. Well, when they weren't coated in cornmeal and fried in bacon grease, that is. (Fried okra is pretty good, especially with chili sauce.) These were people who made delicious pastries and fruit preserves out of sawdust, but couldn't cook a vegetable to save their lives. Come to think of it, they feared meat-borne infections and so cooked all meat to a mummified well-done. Add dye and you could have made shoes out of most of our steaks. So, since the pies and cakes and Fritos were tasty and the actual food was terrible, guess which ones I ate? (I actually liked onions, because they escaped boiling. I was a huge Justice Leauge - Superfriends fan though.)
Now, I learned that vegetables can be grilled or roasted, then served with butter, meaning my sons actually eat them. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, all consumed with enthusiasm. That, and the fact that no brussel sprout crosses my threshold. Heck, they even eat eggplant, as long as it's cooked in lots of tomato sauce. Of course, they still prefer chocolate milk, but don't they think chocolate is good for you now? Antioxidants and all?
Now, if CSPI started providing free cooking lessons, that'd be a good thing. Also gym memberships or sponsoring sports clubs or hiking clubs or dance classes. If you're active enough, you can live on grease and still be healthy, and, as any athlete knows, if you're really active, you quit wanting junk food anyway. So there.
