Beyond Food Promotion: A Systematic Review on the Influence of the Food Industry on Obesity-Related Dietary Behaviour among Children

Abstract

An increased consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and beverages as a result of a changing obesogenic environment contributes substantially to the increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity. This paper reviews the nature and extent of food industry influences which expose children to commercial influences and thus might affect unhealthy dietary behaviour and finally contributes to obesity. A systematic search of nine electronic databases (including PubMed, PsycINFO, EconLit) and reference lists of original studies and reviews using key search terms identified 1900 articles. Of these only thirty-six articles met the inclusion and quality criteria. A narrative synthesis of the reviewed studies revealed six key obesogenic environments by which the food industry possibly influences obesity-related dietary behaviours in young children. These were schools, retailers, mass media “television”, mass media “internet”, home and promotional campaigns. Identifying these obesogenic environments is critical for monitoring and controlling the food industry, the development of effective environmental-level interventions to prevent childhood overweight and obesity and to identify knowledge gaps to be addressed in future research to support informed decisions of policy makers.

Promotions of breastmilk substitutes, commercial complementary foods and commercial snack products commonly fed to young children are frequently found in points‐of‐sale in Bandung City, Indonesia

“…This study is one of the first to assess targeting of commercial snack products to children under 3 years and their caregivers in Indonesia, and the prevalence of targeting found is concerning. Promotions of commercially produced snack foods and sugar sweetened beverages have been shown to influence purchase and consumption behaviours (Boyland et al, ; Sonntag, Schneider, Mdege, Ali, & Schmidt, ). In our study, promotions for candy/chocolate/jellies and malted beverages/non‐dairy milks, which are often high in added sugar, were found to most frequently use techniques that targeted children.…”

Diet, physical activity, obesity and related cancer risk: strategies to reduce cancer burden in the Americas

“…Food marketing has been found to be a key environmental factor that promotes childhood weight gain. 16 Current evidence yields that food marketing to children is abundant, in multiple venues (e.g., point of sale, television, product placement) and mostly involves energy-dense and nutrient-poor foods. 17 Furthermore, marketing influences children´s brand preferences and taste preferences that favor less healthy foods.…”

Why Early Prevention of Childhood Obesity Is More Than a Medical Concern: A Health Economic Approach

“…First, given the complexity of childhood obesity and key obesogenic environments, conventional approaches commonly used in economic evaluations during adulthood may be of limited use [10] . For instance, Sonntag et al [13] have shown that obesityrelated dietary behavior in childhood is influenced not only by parents but also by 5 key obesogenic environments: schools, television, the internet, retailers, and advertising campaigns. A comprehensive economic evaluation must not merely consider the economic consequences of parental behavior on children; it must also capture whether obesity prevention programs mitigate negative effects of key obesogenic environments and how this can be monetarily evaluated.…”