Manufacturers of sugar-laden drinks like lemonade, cola, energy and fruit drinks have come under criticism for marketing campaigns that target children; especially African and Hispanic Americans.
The attack on drink manufacturers comes in the wake of a new report by researchers at the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.
The report, Sugary Drink Facts: Food Advertising to Children and Teens Score warns that young people are being exposed to extraordinary levels of marketing to entice them to consume sugary drinks, which has a devastating impact on health.
For example, a child that drinks just one eight ounce sugary drink every day has a 60 per cent increased risk of becoming obese – and sugary drinks are the number one source of calories in teen diets, the researchers say.
The report states that companies are employing more sophisticated marketing strategies than ever before to reach young people, but also that “there is clear targeting of sugary drink marketing to…especially black and Hispanic youth.”
The more young people are targeted the greater the consumption of these products, the findings have revealed.
A 12-ounce can of soda contains around 10.5 teaspoons of sugar but despite this, deceptive marketing practices suggest on the packaging that these drinks are healthy, with 64 per cent featuring phrases like “all natural” or “real ingredients.”
Between 2008 and 2010 television advertising of full calorie sodas targeted at children and teens doubled. The increase was largely driven by Coca-Cola and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Children were exposed to nearly twice as many television ads for sugary drinks from these companies.
According to the report, beverage companies have admitted that they see African and Hispanic Americans as a good source of future growth for their sales of sugary drinks, and this is reflected in their aggressive marketing strategies.
Black children and teenagers were exposed to between 80 and 90 per cent more advertising that white youth. Meanwhile, between 2008 and 2010 Hispanic children were exposed to 49 per cent more ads for sugary and energy drinks, whilst Hispanic teenagers were exposed to 99 per cent more ads.
Researchers says that aggressive marketing of sugary drinks to children is a major issue because whilst companies see them merely as a an opportunity to grow their businesses and make huge profits, the reality is that these same young people represent the first generation to be expected to have shorter lives than their parents – because of obesity and its related diseases.
Marlene Schwartz, co-author and deputy director of the Rudd Center, said “The beverage industry needs to clean up their youth-directed products: reduce the added sugar, take out the artificial sweeteners, and stop marketing products high in caffeine and sugar to young people. We also need the nutrition facts, including caffeine content, for all beverages, especially energy drinks.”
