According to the center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), around 80% of food related ads shown on the popular children’s network, Nickleodeon are of poor nutritional quality. It is a modest improvement from 90% in 2005 but it is still considered insufficient. Also, they were blamed for being inefficient over a span of 4 years. Read on to know more about how junk food is promoted by Nickleodeon food ads.
Margo G. Wootan, policy director of CSPI nutrition, stated that its a a small and modest start yet it is not sufficient to acknowledge the children’s poor eating habits. Also, it is insufficient to address the increasing rate in childhood obesity.
Survey by CSPI
They conducted a survey on all the food manufacturers who put up their ads on various networks. They found that nearly 60% of the foods advertised failed to meet the nutritional standards of CSPI. Therefore, if Nickleodeon is advertising 80% of poor nutritional food ads, foods with very low nutrition were advertised on a higher frequency compared to CSPI’s acceptable foods.
Harmful Ingredients of Junk Food
Surprisingly, CSPI standards are not too high. The prime concern of obesity from fats and sugar hide the other ingredients of junk food like high fructose corn syrup. This is cheaper alternative of sugar but has terrible effects on the health. Another sugar substitute is aspartame, which is a neurotoxin. It has serious health consequences.
MSG is another ingredient of junk foods which adversely affects the health. It is a flavor enhancer but a neurotoxin. Also, it is a prime suspect in obesity related issues as it has a addictive quality. To conclude, most of the foods which has serious health implications advertised on networks are more than 60%. Hence, the facts and figures are really astonishing and disturbing as it leads to childhood obesity.
