Meal premiums in child-directed fast-food TV advertisements work against obesity prevention efforts
A new Dartmouth-led study, published this week in the journal
Pediatrics, has found that the disproportionate use of premiums within child-targeted TV advertising for children s fast-food meals is deceptive. The researchers examined thousands of advertisements from 11 fast-food restaurants, but one company McDonald s accounted for nearly all the airtime and, as a result, the findings.
The researchers report that these ads often overemphasize premiums such as toy giveaways and games relative to the primary product being sold, the fast food itself. This marketing practice violates the industry s own guidelines put in place to ensure that the use of premiums in ads is not deceptive or unfair as young children lack the cognitive ability to understand advertising.