Study: Fast Food Ad Ban Could Curb Obesity

Double-Digit Drops In Overweight Kids Would Occur If Commercials Ceased, Research Suggests

(AP)  A little less "I'm Lovin' It" could put a significant dent in the problem of childhood obesity, suggests a new study that attempts to measure the effect of TV fast-food ads.

A ban on such commercials would reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent, researchers found.

They also suggested that ending an advertising expense tax deduction for fast-food restaurants could mean a slight reduction in childhood obesity.

Some experts say it's the first national study to show fast-food TV commercials have such a large effect on childhood obesity. A 2006 Institute of Medicine report suggested a link, but concluded proof was lacking.

"Our study provides evidence of that link," said study co-author Michael Grossman, an economics professor at City University of New York, in a prepared statement.

The study has important implications for the effectiveness of regulating TV advertising, said Lisa Powell, a researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policy. She was not involved in the research but was familiar with it.

The percentage of U.S. children who are overweight or obese rose steadily from the 1980s until recently, when it leveled off. About a third of American kids are overweight or obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

The causes of childhood obesity are complicated, but for years researchers have been pondering the effects of TV advertising. Powell, for example, found fast-food commercials account for as much as 23 percent of the food-related ads kids see on TV. Others have estimated children see fast-food commercials tens of thousands of times a year.

The new study is based in part on several years of government survey data from the late 1990s that involved in-person interviews with thousands of U.S. families. The researchers also looked at information about local stations in the 75 largest TV markets, including locally seen fast-food commercials and the size of viewing audiences.

The researchers used a statistical test that presumes TV ads lead to obesity but made calculations to address other influences such as income and the number of nearby fast-food restaurants. They also took steps to account for the possibility that some children may already have been overweight and inactive regardless of their TV-watching habits.

The study is being published this month in the Journal of Law & Economics. The authors, funded by a federal grant, included Grossman and researchers from Lehigh University and Georgia State University.

The authors stopped short of advocating an advertising ban or eliminating the advertising tax deduction.

Grossman said it's possible that some families benefit from advertising by finding out what restaurants are nearby and what they're serving. "A lot of people consume fast food in moderate amounts and it doesn't harm their health," he said, in an interview with the AP.

McDonald's Corp., the giant fast-food chain responsible for the widely seen "I'm Lovin' It" ad campaign, referred questions about the study to the National Council of Chain Restaurants.

A spokeswoman for that organization noted the study was based on surveys done in the late 1990s. Since then, fast-food restaurants have expanded their menus significantly to include more healthy options, she said.

She also argued that parents — not kids — have control over most of a family's food spending.

"Parent make choices for their kids — they make choices on where their children eat, and what their children eat. We all know kids have very strong opinions, but ultimately it's parents that make choices for them," said the spokeswoman, Ellen Davis.

[gop_will_win]

How about if these feminist mothers cook healthy meals for their children? That might work.

[Gary Kempf]

Fast Food Ad Ban Could Curb Obesity;

How about the parents take some responsibility. Control what and where they eat........

[bikerb54]

I agree with navpro and others that think it''s time the parents took responsibility for childhood obesity. The kids don''t drive themselves or have jobs that make them money to get McDonald''s, Burger King or any of the other junk foods. Hey parents, you made these children, they are a gift that should be cherished and taken care of, How about doing just that? Childhood obesity wasn''t as previlent in the years before computer games, 24 hour cartoon networks and neglect by parents. Make them play outside, take them to the gym when you go (if your fat *** goes) teach them the fun of hide and seek, kick ball, tag and all the games you played as a child. You''d be surprised how much of the overeating is a result of needing affection and attention that you "forget" to shower on these children. They have a hunger that food won''t feed. LOVE. Try it sometime.

[culturechang]

The most ridiculous idea I have heard. How about parents control thier kids eating habits.

What was it that lobbyist said to Eddie Murphy in The Distinguished Gentleman? "I have reports that say it is; I have reports that say it isn''t. Which do you want to believe?"

[hologram5]

Use healthy foods at home, cook home meals and keep an eye on the kids after school and make sure they don''t become "vidiots"... Make sure they get outside every day for fresh air and excercise and you shouldn''t need the nanny state to tell you what you can and cannot eat/cook.

[dbstevens]

Banning advertising for these restaurants is another dumb example of not addressing a problem directly. At what point did our society stop expecting people to be responsible for themselves? There are so many laws "protecting" people from their own stupidity, that nobody has any motivation anymore to be intelligent.

But that''s not to say that I don''t agree that these ads contribute to health problems in both children and adults. What we NEED to do is to have some strict laws about those ads. First of all, the food in ads needs to look like the foods that are sold. If a Big Mac REALLY looked like the ones in the ads, I''d eat them too. That''s false advertising. We wouldn''t tolerate it in the auto industry...if you saw an ad for a Mercedes, you wouldn''t drive happily off the lot in a Hyundai.

But the main thing is that ads for this type of food should be required to state the nutritional value and the risks. We require cigarette ads to have the Surgeon General''s warning. Ads for those horrifying pharmaceuticals require that the side effects be communicated. I believe food ads should clearly include nutritional content and warnings of risks. But don''t ban the ads, that''s absurd.

[questionnews]

I fear a whole new series of nanny laws are coming our way.

[spurkhi]

Advertising is not the issue and will not cure the problem. The root of the problem is mandating that restaurants remove all the fat and all the calories from their foods. This can be done, for all of you that will roll your eyes and shake your heads, but for some reason the government does not see the forrest for the trees. The fat and calories are the root problem and if you fix this, you fix the problem. We all know that smoking is bad for you, but prople will smoke and will eat, regardless of advertising. Frankly, I would like to see all ads banned...particularly foods, insurance and religeous ads. Let people rate these items or services that are NOT selling them. Might be refreshing.

[honestabe8]

It would sure help a lot of people realized, and conveyed to their kids, that these places sell garbage.

[carlylaine]

Keep your hands off anything of mine. The GOVERNMENT HAS NO BUSINESS TELLNG ME WHAT TO EAT. GAWDDAMNNED GOVERNMENT and you fools who think that controlling me is good. I''m uncontrollable and nothing will make it otherwise. Stay out of my life!!!

[mswolfestock]

This will just allow "parents" to continue to be cowards.

First of all, they need to turn off the TV. Then the whole family should help to prepare nutritious meals TOGETHER. Then they all should go for a walk, a bicycle ride, go play some hoops, etc, etc.

Don''t blame McDonalds, or Burger King. Blame the parents for letting the kids run the show, blame the parents for being lazy cowards.

[wango2007-2009]

Big Brother wants to take away your Big Mac.

The environmentalist have killed of the auto industry in the US, now the food crazies are try to do the same with convenient, cheap, popular food offered by McDonald''s and others.

Go away you food Nazi''s... don''t eat the stuff if you don''t want, but leave the rest of us alone.

If you had your way we''d all be eating tofu and sprouts, and that would be like being put in a culinary Concentration Camp.

[credibility2]

Let''s expect everybody else to prevent this problem, but totally taking all of the responsibility and accountability off of the parents. I''m sick and tired of lazy parents who expect every other entity to do their jobs. It''s the job of the parents to educate, motivate and set an example. Possibly this isn''t being done because in addition to these parents being lax, they''re also too stupid to know any better, which begs the question, why were these idiots allowed to procreate in the first place?

[wango2007-2009]

I fear a whole new series of nanny laws are coming our way.

Posted by Questionnews

----------

Exactly. The Obama-maniacs love to jump on issues like this. They will be quick to take away our rights with nanny laws.

Obama is going to be the worst president ever whern it comes to preserving personal freedoms.

He says he wants to take away our money to give it to others who he thinks needs it. He''ll take other rights away too- event the right to eat a hamburger in peace-... all, of course, "for our own good."

[trumpetstuff]

Rather than repeat what others have already said here, I`ll just add my vote: No nanny state!

[honestabe8]

d7767w: well, i suppose i am not the one to ask, as i live by myself and am a vegan. so, i cook healthy food for myself a lot. on the other hand, i do not have to please kids with my food.

[beezabee]

A federal grant used on a study about obesity due to commercial ads. Truly our American dollars are being wasted. Here''s my study: Parents who lack control or guidance of their children''s eating and exercise habits will result in overweight to obese children. Yes, there are cases of children who genetically have problems. However, once again, social responsibility...parental control.

[dagrandma]

Okay, you banned ads for cigarettes because cigarettes are bad for you. Now you want to ban ads for fast food because fast food is bad for you. Let me ask this: When am I NOT going to see a Budweiser Superbowl commercial????????

[heero78-2009]

How''s about a ban on blaming other people for what you shovel into your own mouth.

[getoffmine1]

if some kid and his parents don''t know better then to eat fast food for every meal to we really want unfit and unintelligent people ruining the gene pool? Don''t censor the ads, let the kids and thier parents worry about themselves, it is not anone elses responsibility.

[middleman8]

...fast food ban...

This is nothing, If the prime time advertising commercials on medication were dropped
the cost of medication would drop by 50%.
its not allowed in sane countries.

[punk53]

When are people going to take responsibility for what they eat and what happens to them...no one forces them to eat ***...they are obese because they are lazy and eat junk too often...then they drag their kids with them.
Ads make no difference..people need to quit blaming everyone and everything else for their problems

[rjs1955]

Wait, how many calories are in a fast food ad anyway? I have seen these ads all of my life and I want to know if I have gained any unnecessary weight by looking at them. I am 5''6" and weigh 142 lbs. My pants are waist size 30 and I wear a 39 short suit.

Maybe if we nuke all interstate highway exit food signs that would help a little.

Cheesh, get a life America...half of you can''t read for squat anyway... is it the pictures of the greasy food that causes obesity??

[docpeter1953]

Wait, how many calories are in a fast food ad anyway? I have seen these ads all of my life and I want to know if I have gained any unnecessary weight by looking at them. I am 5''''6" and weigh 142 lbs. My pants are waist size 30 and I wear a 39 short suit.

Maybe if we nuke all interstate highway exit food signs that would help a little.

Cheesh, get a life America...half of you can''''t read for squat anyway... is it the pictures of the greasy food that causes obesity??

Posted by rjs1955 at 12:52 PM : Nov 20, 2008
______________

Nope, you didn''t gain any fatty weight, it is just the commercials stunted your growth ;-)

[voidmaster-2009]

This is just another example of people wanting the government to fix something for them instead of taking responsibility for their own actions.

Yes, eating habits are exactly the kind of actions YOU (and not I nor the government) are responsible for.

If people are too stupid to realize that and intend to go right on eating or letting their kids eat too much, let them. Let evolution do its job.

[dogsoul]

"This is nothing, If the prime time advertising commercials on medication were dropped
the cost of medication would drop by 50%.
its not allowed in sane countries. "

Your an idiot - do yourself a favor & pick up an economics book... one with nice big pictures if you like.

They''ll charge as much as they can get away with charging - period... if they save money thru cutting ad budgets - AND it doesn''t affect their sales - they''ll simply pocket the saved money...

[dogsoul]

This is ridiculous... Overconsumption of food - especially of the ''fast food'' variety causes obesity. Sure, advertising works to drum up business & create awareness of any given product - that''s what it''s SUPPOSED to do. So yeah... forcing fast food chains to stop advertising will certainly hurt that business sector - but where are we headed with this? Banning fast food? Having the gov''t oversee what & how much we eat? Just wait till socialized health care takes over - then whatever YOU do to yourself becomes EVERYbody''s business...

[flreason]

Banning ads really would be overreaching, but I do think that perhaps there should be some limits on fast food advertising associated with children''s programming. Having said that, it is the parents'' responsibility to serve balanced meals, and to say no when their kids demand products (including food) huckstered on kids'' shows.

[skinnyminny2]

I agree with getoffmine...let ''em get fat. it''s their problem. Why should anyone else care?

[tigerdaemon]

If people would stop scheduling their and their childrens'' lives to the nth degree, and stay home in the evening to cook a decent, wholesome meal instead of running the kids through the local fast food establishment for dinner, maybe childhood obesity wouldn''t be such an issue. Having everyone sit down at the dinner table for a meal has enormous benefits for one''s children - not only do they get decent food to eat, but they have the opportunity to interact with their parents, something that has been shown through research to help deflect may of the problems kids have (drug use, alcoholism, promiscuity, etc.). I cooked (and continue to) every evening when my kids were growing up, even though I was a working mom with my own stresses. I''ve reaped the rewards of that - both my kids are responsible, hard-working college students, with no drug or alcohol problems, and no unwanted pregnancies.

The other issue is television and computers. Turn the *** thing off and do something with your kids that involves getting up and moving around. Obesity began to be a problem when we stopped making our kids go outside and play. Be the adult, and be in charge.

Like anything else, eating fast food is a choice. Banning commercials isn''t going to make any difference one way or another.

[ybotheratall]

Every time I see an ad on TV for those horrifying burgers and deep fried chicken garbage I want to change the channel, not go buy something to eat there. YUCK! That stuff is garbage. They are good for a salad and a bottle of water, that''s about it and not even that. My kids wouldn''t eat that junk if you gave it to them. I do something called "cooking". Fresh, healthy meals with vegetables and healthy meats. Try it sometime!

[dagrandma]

dogsoul: I think the point middleman6 was trying to make was that without the ads for prescription medication, we won''t be convinced we have "restless leg syndrome" or some other such hogwash. I''d never heard of this syndrome until an ad came out for it''s cure. And I''m sure sales skyrocketed after the ad came out because, while there actually may be people with RLS, they probably are a fraction of the people who think they have it.

[dkhorse1]

It''s funny how kids and adults are too lazy to get up move and perform any kind of physical activity for their health, but after watching a fast food commercial they''ll move to get something fattening to eat.

We%u2019re looking the commercials all wrong, they are actually the only source of motivation fat kids get to move.

[displeased]

We should ban TVs. Then ALL problems are solved.

[hotwitch]

Maybe if we had more broccoli commercials it would trick us into eating healthier.

[displeased]

Maybe if we had more broccoli commercials it would trick us into eating healthier.
Posted by hotwitch

That won''t work. Broccoli doesn''t appear appealing or satisfying unless it''s submerged in a giant bowl of cheese. Then it would sell...

[seer57]

NOOOO .. We will probably find out that broccoli can be used as a bio fuel and then the price would soar and every one will lease there land to the government and no one would want to sell it for food... Lets use our brains a minute.Maybe the FDA won''t try to curve the tons of unhealthy fast foods because that might make people healthier which would cause more doctors to precribe less medications and since drug companies lobby for the FDA which has a lot of doctors for members..... Well we will see where it goes.

[kaliwind]

This is another really stupid study. Kids are obese today because they are doing nothing but playing video games instead of playing in the yard and playing at school recess. When I was a kid we ate a lot but were skinny because we ran it off in outdoor activities. Now the politically correct don''t want children playing outdoor games because they might get hurt and games are competitive. Instead they come up with stupid studies like this one. Get those kids moving! Exercise is good for you. And I agree with the comments about not eating balanced meals at home because kids today are involved in a zillion different activities.

[seer57]

Kaliwind , you are so right... Plus people can''t afford the better foods so they they get the sugary fats and sweets because they are cheaper and thus we have plump juicy kids.

[honestabe8]

Is it just my imagination, or did we start getting fatter when we stopped being a group of people who played sports to one that watched sports?

[displeased]

Putting the higher cost of veggies aside, the problem is lack of nutritional education. You take somebody who''s hungry and show them a picture of a salad and a picture of a burger. They''re going to choose the burger because it is more satisfying.

Now take a nutritionally educated person, such as myself, and show me a picture of a salad and a picture of a burger, I''ll choose the burger. Only because I''ve eaten enough salads throughout the week and exercised considerably that I can afford to reward myself with the occasional burger.

Most people reward themselves with every meal, regardless of their nutritional and exercise achievements.

[credibility2]

Another problem is the lack of anyone cooking meals at home for their kids, or least having healthy nutritional food available for them. Going out for fast food is too much of a convenience for both parent and kid. It doesn''t have to happen. It''s called being disciplined and responsible.

[itgranny]

I have wondered for a long time about advertizing leading us into ways we shouldn''t be going. Smoking, eating, credit cards, drinking, pay day loans, buying huge gas hogs... a whole host of things that we really should know better.

And for those that say it''s only affecting weak people need only look at religion to know there''s power behind advertizing. How could a sane person with no input from the outside, read Revelations or even Matthew, Mark or James, and walk away a christian? It''s the suggesion. It''s everyone around them. It''s the advertizing.

People are sheep and will buy into what ever they are fed. It''s about time we start realizing this and start pushing things that are good for us and society as a whole.

[xxunknown]

If people are too stupid to realize that and intend to go right on eating or letting their kids eat too much, let them. Let evolution do its job.
Posted by VoidMaster
------------------------------
Right on. Natural selection.

[lvdragonlady-2009]

hmmmm - banning fast food......someone just stepped over that invisible line. Something of this nature, is unacceptable. We all have the right to do what we want with our bodies, from food and drink to drugs or smoking. This type of comment is an attempt to take away our rights.
Let''s make sure this gets a rethink and let''s make sure that it does not happen.

[redbds]

hmmmm - banning fast food......someone just stepped over that invisible line. Something of this nature, is unacceptable. We all have the right to do what we want with our bodies, from food and drink to drugs or smoking. This type of comment is an attempt to take away our rights.
Let''''s make sure this gets a rethink and let''''s make sure that it does not happen.

Posted by lvdragonlady at 03:19 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Just one of the many things that the liberals in charge of this country will do for you in the near future. they know that we are all uncapable of knowing what is best for ourselves so they will do the thinking for us. Hold on to your hats. It is going to get very interesting.

[redbds]

If people are too stupid to realize that and intend to go right on eating or letting their kids eat too much, let them. Let evolution do its job.
Posted by VoidMaster
----------------------------
--
Right on. Natural selection.

Posted by xxunknown at 03:18 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Can''t do that. It is counter to the liberal agenda.

[redbds]

This is another really stupid study. Kids are obese today because they are doing nothing but playing video games instead of playing in the yard and playing at school recess. When I was a kid we ate a lot but were skinny because we ran it off in outdoor activities. Now the politically correct don''''t want children playing outdoor games because they might get hurt and games are competitive. Instead they come up with stupid studies like this one. Get those kids moving! Exercise is good for you. And I agree with the comments about not eating balanced meals at home because kids today are involved in a zillion different activities.

Posted by Kaliwind at 02:26 PM : Nov 20, 2008

Can''t let kids play outside like we did when we were kids. To many pedophiles running around out there. It is not safe like it was when we were kids.

[penniemumm]

Showing delicious-looking food on TV stimulates salivation which stimulates the stomach hormone ghrelin and makes us hungry. No wonder we''re fatter! Get that stuff off TV, PLEASE!

[random_radar]

"Get that stuff off TV, PLEASE!

Posted by penniemumm at 04:14 PM : Nov 20, 2008"

You lack the self control to turn off the TV, so you demand that the government control what you watch? For some reason I think you are doomed.