Because of the direct link between marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks, and overweight and obesity in children, the World Health Assembly (WHO’s main governing body) endorsed a set of recommendations in 2010 to guide country efforts in designing new and/or strengthening existing policies on food marketing communications to children in order to reduce the impact of marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks on their health.
Impact of marketing unhealthy foods and drinks on children
Children and adolescents are exposed to marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks in various settings, including at school, in shops, outdoors, when they play and watch sport, watch television or use social media. This marketing makes unhealthy foods and drinks appeal to children. Huge sums of money are spent to reach these groups because they influence family decisions on what to buy and because of their potential for brand loyalty. The channels being used to reach children and adolescents have grown from traditional media like billboards, print advertising, television and radio commercials to new media like social media platforms, paid online ads, email, websites and search results. Other channels include movies, video games and schools.
Unlike traditional media, new media allows for narrow (individually-tailored) versus broad targeting, meaning more precision in reaching children and adolescents with marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks. Companies make their products attractive to children and adolescents with different flavours, promotions, free samples, merchandizing, free gifts with meals, prized games and competitions, paid advertising, advergaming (advertising brands through video gaming) branding, sponsorship, product design and packaging, cartoons, product placement in movies and TV shows, social media and influencers. They also tap into new marketing opportunities made possible by digital media like food-themed game applications and use real-time data to target children and adolescents based on their online habits thus threatening their future health and well-being.
WHO’s work in restricting marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks
The WHO Regional Office works closely with United Nations agencies, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions and civil society organizations to provide guidance and technical support to countries to promote the responsible marketing of foods and drinks to children using a stepwise or comprehensive approach and to take action to restrict cross-border marketing of unhealthy food and drinks. The implementation of these measures and promotion of a healthy diet for children in their early years reduces the risk of them becoming overweight or obese and developing noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Regional framework for action to implement the United Nations political declaration on noncommunicable diseases helps us track country progress in restricting marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to children. The regional framework, endorsed in 2012, identifies evidence-based, feasible and cost-effective interventions to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases, including ensuring healthy nutrition in early life and childhood, and promoting breastfeeding and regulating the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children.
Actions for parents and schools
Parents and guardians play a major role in improving their children’s health and protecting them from the marketing strategies of the food industry. Parents and guardians should:
choose healthier, balanced food options for their children, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and limit the consumption of foods and drinks containing high amounts of fats and sugars;
be a role model for their children and encourage them to be more physically active and follow a healthy diet;
educate their children on the harmful impact of marketing, especially digital marketing;
control what they buy and not be influenced by their children into buying heavily marketed unhealthy food.
Schools are an important setting in which to improve children’s nutrition if they ensure that only healthy foods and drinks are available. The WHO Nutrition-friendly schools initiative provides a framework for implementation of measures to improve health and nutrition in schools, which have been widely implemented in the Region. According to the Global Nutrition Policy Review 2016–2017, more than three quarters (79%) of the 19 countries in the Region reported having a school health and nutrition programme. These programmes generally aim to tackle both child undernutrition and overweight/obesity and recommend that schools:
integrate nutrition education as part of the academic curriculum;
find appropriate sponsorship from a wide range of commercial entities, if sponsorship of school events is required;
organize seminars to raise awareness of the impact of marketing and media on children’s food and beverage choices;
encourage children to adopt healthy lifestyles by promoting healthy dietary practices during different school events and extracurricular activities;
provide nutritional counselling sessions and/or training through the school nutritionist/doctor.
Related links
Convention on the rights of the child
Nutrition-friendly schools initiative (NFSI)
Set of recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children