More unhealthy food, beverage ads airing during kids’ TV programming

ajc.com

Kids are watching more food and beverage ads during children’s television programming and most of them are unhealthy, according to a new study.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) said 23 percent of ads during kids’ TV shows are for food and beverages, up from 14 percent in 2012.

CSPI said two-thirds of those ads are unhealthy.

"It's just better for them to have less sugar in their diets so I think it's important not to have all those advertisements,” parent Kelly Haggerty said.

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The report said networks like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Discovery Family were all given F grades meaning they had the most unhealthy food ads per hour.

"Marketing really matters," Policy Associate for CSPI Sara Ribakove said.

Ribakove said Nickelodeon had upwards of ten unhealthy ads per hour.

"Our concerns are that if children continue to see a lot of unhealthy food and beverage advertisements that's what they're going to want and in turn that can create long term habits,” Ribakove said.

PBS and Univision were given A grades for running healthy advertisements.

We contacted the networks given F grades for comment, but haven’t heard back.

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