Marketing of Unhealthy Foods & Beverages to Children

1. Marketing of Unhealthy Foods & Beverages to Children Presentation to Preventing Childhood Obesity: Moving Policy Recommendations to Action Workshop Tuesday March 22, 2011

2. CDPAC • A national alliance of organizations sharing a common vision for an integrated system of research, surveillance, policies and programs for maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases in Canada. • Mission: • To foster and help sustain a country-wide movement towards an integrated population health approach for the prevention of chronic diseases, through knowledge for action. • Goals: • Strengthened linkages among established, new, and emerging chronic disease prevention initiatives in Canada • Improved public health system capacity for chronic disease prevention • Public policies that create healthy environments and support healthy living

3. The CDPAC Alliance • Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health • Canadian Cancer Society • Canadian Council for Tobacco Control • Canadian Diabetes Association • Canadian Public Health Association • Coalition for Active Living • Dietitians of Canada • Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada • Kidney Foundation of Canada • YMCA Canada • CDPAC Network of Provincial & Territorial Alliances

4. CDPAC Key Issues/Activities • Obesity • Marketing of Unhealthy Foods and Beverages to Children • Sugar-Sweetened Beverages • Food Security • CLASP • Collaborative Action on Childhood Obesity

5. Children’s Overweight/Obesity Rates

6. Increase in Childhood Overweight/Obesity Source: 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey: Nutrition; Canada Health Survey 1978/79

7. Obesity: Some Key Facts • The probability of childhood obesity persisting into adulthood is estimated to increase from 20% at 4 years of age to 80% by adolescence. • $30 billion is the estimated cost of overweight & obesity.

8. CDPAC Policy Consensus Conference on Obesity & the Impact of Marketing on Children Date: March 4 & 5, 2008 Location: Ottawa Participants: approximately 130 (by invitation) Academics, food industry, broadcasters, advertising interests, toy industry, NGOs, government officials. Funded by PHAC, BC Govt & CIHR

9. Concept/Format How? A panel (jury) evaluates evidence presented by “experts” with potentially differing perspectives. At the end of expert presentations, panel meets in camera & develops consensus statement based on questions posed to them and evidence presented by experts. Consensus statement read to participants next morning & experts and invited participants may ask questions to clarify issues. At this time, the consensus statement may be amended and then publicly released to media etc.

10. Panel Members Avi Lewis (Moderator) – broadcaster, journalist Jane I. Campbell – educator Sheree Fitch - children’s author Renée Hodgkinson – youth leader Sharon Manson Singer – policy leader Adam Spence – food bank representative Catherine Turner – aboriginal representative Kenneth Wong – marketing professor

11. Program Agenda 4 March 2008 Setting the context What is the impact of marketing on children? What is the current federal system governing marketing to children? Does it work? What are the options available to mitigate the impact of marketing on children? Do they work? 5 March 2008 Panel policy consensus statement read by Panel Moderator Audience questions/feedback Panel makes amendments

12. Influences on the Diets and Related Health Outcomes of Children and Youth Source: IOM, 2006.

13. Marketing to Children • Children are marketed to from multiple sources • on television • over the Internet • on the radio • on billboards • on food packages • in magazines • through digital phones • Targeted in various settings • home • day care centres • schools • grocery stores • parks • recreation centres • theatres

14. Total marketing of food, beverages & restaurants to children & adolescents

15. Youth Marketing Expenditures - US

16. Extent of “Junk Food” Advertising in Canada? • Most Canadian research focuses on TV advertising. • Approximately 80% of TV food advertising in Ontario & Alberta is for non-core foods. • Canadian research indicates that there are high levels of food advertising to children and adolescents on English language TV stations. • Nutritional quality of majority of advertised foods/beverages is poor.

17. What is the Impact of Marketing on Children? • The marketing of food and beverages to children impacts their food and beverage choices & consumption • The majority of foods and beverages marketed to children are unhealthy • Unhealthy food and beverage choices contribute to childhood obesity

18. Panel Statement Excerpts THE PLAN First of all, we affirm that marketing regulation should be only one piece of an integrated society-wide battle against obesity and all its many causes, including poverty, geographic vulnerability, and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. We also understand that it is complex to define what constitutes unhealthy food and beverages, as well as the age definition of a child for this purpose. For these reasons, we call on the Government of Canada to appoint a panel of public health experts to define the age threshold and what constitutes unhealthy food and beverages. Once the definitions are established….we call on the Government of Canada to create and approve and then go on to enforce a regulatory regime that ends all marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children within two years. As well, we include in here marketing that is targeted to children indirectly through their parents or guardians.

19. Media Coverage Print Ban junk-food ads, says doc: Industry self-regulation won’t work: Canwest News Service, March 3 Ban 'unhealthy' food ads to kids, group says: CBC online, March 5 Canada under pressure to ban junk food ads: Food Navigator USA, March 6 Candy isn’t dandy: Conference Group determined to stop marketing of bad food to kids in bid to address obesity: Telegraph Journal, March 6 Total ban on marketing unhealthy food to Canuck kids in the cards?: Media in Canada, March 7 Ban junk food ads aimed at children: doctor, Ottawa Citizen, March Ban on junk food ads backed, thestar.com: March 6 Is TV to blame for fat epidemic, thestar.com: March 8 Stand up for Cap’n Crunch, Globe editorial: March 8 Junk Food ad ban unrealistic, prof: The Leader-Post, March 10

20. Media Coverage Radio: CBL-FM CBQ-FM CBH-FM CJNI-FM TV: CBOFT-TV CBOT-TV CTV – Canada AM CBC – NW – National CHCH-TV

21. CDPAC Position Statement 1) That the federal government - and if necessary other governments in Canada - introduce regulatory regimes to comprehensively prohibit the direct marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children. 2) That the food and beverage industry, in collaboration with civil society and governments, augment the marketing of healthy foods and beverages to children.

22. Marketing Tools • Advertisements • Advergames on the Internet • Product placement in movies and subsequent tie-ins with food products and fast-food chains • Product packaging and wrappers • Logos on vending machines • Corporate sponsored educational materials • Toys and books with brand logos • Contests • Viral marketing

23. Public Opinion Polling % Canadians supportive of prohibiting and/or restricting the marketing of unhealthy/junk foods that are aimed at children? Sept. 23–Oct. 12, 2004Sample size n=2027, +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20 • 73% agree Sept. 19–Oct. 16, 2005Sample size n=2024, +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20 • 81% agree Sept 18 – Oct 12, 2006 Sample size n=2021, +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20 • 74% agree April 22-April 30, 2010 Sample size n=2000, +/- 2.2%, 19 times out of 20 • 82% agree

24. The Quebec Model • In Quebec, the 1978 Consumer Protection Act bans all commercial advertising directed at children • 1980 implemented • Described as the most stringent restriction on advertising directed at children in the world • Applies to: • kids under 13 yrs • all commercial advertising during programs where children consist of at least 15% of total audience.

25. Potential Influence of the Quebec Ban • Among lowest soft drink consumption rates in Canada • Among highest fruit & vegetable consumption in Canada • Francophones/some allophones consume less junk food and more fruits & vegetables than Anglophones in Quebec and Ontario • Lowest obesity rate in Canada (6-11 yr olds).

26. Percentage Children (6-11 yrs) Overweight or Obese by Province, 2004 18.4 Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey, 2004

27. In spite of higher physical inactivity rates in Quebec than national average Canada: Physical Inactivity Rates for Youth 12-17 Years of Age, 2005 26.5% 15.1 21.7 34 24 23.5 25.7 30.1 30.3 28.9 27.2 25.3 26.3 27.7

28. Quebec Model Gaps • Quebec legislation does not appear to be limiting the amount of food/beverage advertising among children 10-12 yrs (Potvin Kent, Dubois & Wanless, 2010). • Loophole = food promotion allowed if directed at adults. • Impact on health of children unknown. • Intuitive that exposure to ads directed at kids must have incremental impact vs adult oriented ads. • Recent study of cartoons on food packages demonstrates this.

30. Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative • Voluntary initiative by 16 of Canada’s largest food and beverage corporations • Each company has published its own voluntary commitments • Advertising Standards Council (ASC) publishes annual compliance reports

31. Criticism of Canadian Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative • The “Healthier dietary choices” standard is determined by each company, therefore there is no consistency between companies. • These standards are developed so that they are easy to attain. • Children’s programming is defined very narrowly • Only 30-50% of the audience must be under 12 years • Advertiser-created cartoon characters are allowed • The commitments do not address the very broad existing marketing environment (i.e. product placement, etc) • Voluntary industry self-regulation not at all sufficient to reverse obesity trend.

32. Current CDPAC Approach • As an initial step, the federal government and NGOs work with the food/beverage industry to strengthen the industry’s current voluntary initiative. • The food and beverage industry, in collaboration with civil society and governments, increase the marketing of healthy foods and beverages to children. • If the above measures prove insufficient in the near term, the federal government should immediately introduce regulations.

33. Questions