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Health Advertising leads to obesity in children
Many children and adolescents are overweight or obese - a problem that is common throughout Europe. Whether children are at an increased risk for fat is closely related to the social circumstances in which they grow up. But an international study shows that there are other influencing factors that even health-conscious parents can hardly influence. These include, above all, advertising and access to places where adolescents can move freely. In order to improve children's health, families should therefore be actively supported by the governments of Europe, according to the key message from the partners of the I.Family study.
Childish overweight is a Europe-wide problem
Whether Nutella for breakfast, fries and sausages for lunch or chocolate bars for the small appetite in between: European-wide, many children take too much sugar and fat day by day and suffer as a result of obesity and obesity. But where are the causes of this "overweight epidemic"? What factors determine which foods the adolescents choose? These questions were at the center of the large-scale international "I.Family Study", which was presented on February 9 in Brussels.
According to an international study, advertising has a major impact on the eating habits of children. (Image: Myst / fotolia.com) Scientists examine the health of thousands of children
For more than five years, more than 16,000 children in eight European countries (Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, Cyprus) have been accompanied by a team of international scientists. Coordinated by the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS GmbH and the University of Bremen, the health status, nutritional behavior and influence of the circle of friends and family on the children were examined.
The key finding: The families alone could not solve the overweight problem. Rather, the policy must be held accountable and help families to improve their children's health and counteract obesity, so the press release of the Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology - BIPS GmbH.
Share in southern Italy particularly high
According to the study, social living conditions (job, income, formal education, place of residence, etc.) have a major impact on the development of obesity. Thus, over the years, it has been found that about twice as many children with low or medium socioeconomic status become overweight during adulthood than peers with high socioeconomic status.
This is true for all countries, yet the proportions of overweight or obese children vary widely across Europe: while in southern Italy about 40% of children between the ages of 2 and 10 are affected, in Belgium the proportion is less than 10% same age group.
"Our results clearly show that children from disadvantaged families are more likely to be overweight than children from wealthier families," explains study coordinator Wolfgang Ahrens from BIPS. "Here, politics must be active and support these families."
Advertising has an immense influence on eating behavior
That an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise quickly lead to obesity - that's obvious. But the experts realized that even for children who eat healthy and exercise risk factors for obesity exist on which the parents have little or no influence.
"Another area that politics has to tackle is consumer-friendly advertising for unhealthy 'junk food'. This advertising - for example on television - is very widespread and has great influence on children, so that it is difficult even for very health-conscious parents to restrict the consumption of these foods, "said Wolfgang Ahrens.
Here, too, education plays a central role. According to Ahrens, less educated parents would have a less critical opinion of TV advertising. "Their children are exposed to influences of advertising defenseless," the expert told the news agency "dpa". The study showed that children's eating habits are strongly influenced by product presentations. They consumed TV ads, more often sugared drinks, regardless of parents' standards.
Manufacturers need to be more regulated
Accordingly, according to Ahlers, it is necessary that advertising addressed specifically to children be regulated more strictly. Because the existing voluntary self-restriction of the food industry in children's marketing had no effect - a sad fact, which the consumer advocates of foodwatch had already drawn attention in 2015. At that time, an extensive study of children's food showed that manufacturers still continue to market unhealthy products to children almost exclusively.
School meals must be healthier
Politicians also need to ensure that the onlookers receive healthy food at school. Instead of quality too much value is placed on a cheap food, criticized Helmut Heseker, nutritionist at the University of Paderborn, in an interview with the news agency. The guidelines of the German Nutrition Society (DGE) are often not met. "There is still a lot of awareness needed in politics, parents and school operators," said Heseker.
Still too many overweight children
The DGE had reported only a few days ago that the proportion of overweight or obese children in the school enrollment phase had fallen - but still many adolescents in this country are clearly too fat. Depending on the federal state, the proportion of obese children is currently between 8.2% and 12%, of which between 2.8% and 5.3% are obese. In a European comparison, Germany occupies a place in the midfield.
Allow access to open spaces
Another important issue, according to the study, is children's activity. "A third important result of I.Family is the recognition that good access to open spaces, parks, walking and cycling trails means that children are more physically active," said Wolfgang Ahrens, according to the GDPS statement. According to the experts, city planners and politicians could "[...] directly influence the health of children if they offer them better opportunities to move in their immediate environment."
Orientation to friends is becoming more important
Of course, parents can shape the dietary habits of their children to a degree by acting as role models and living a healthy lifestyle. But even in school, the influence decreases sharply, as the adolescents are increasingly oriented to the circle of friends.
According to the study, teenagers are more likely to eat unhealthy food if their friends do the same. The same applies to physical activity. Therefore, the governments of Europe should actively help families to improve the health of their children. "Alone families can not fulfill this difficult task," according to the study partners. (No)