NEW DELHI: A new multinational study has established a direct link between exposure to food marketing and unhealthy dietary choices among children and adolescents.
Conducted across six countries, including Canada, Australia, Chile, Mexico, the UK, and the US, the study found that children exposed to advertisements for fast food, sugary drinks, cereals, snacks like chips, crackers or granola bars, and desserts such as cookies, candy and ice cream were significantly more likely to have consumed those very foods the previous day.
Published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, the study urged governments worldwide to adopt mandatory, evidence-based restrictions on food marketing targeted at young people.
Dr Arun Gupta, paediatrician, nutrition advocate, and Convenor of Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi), a national think tank on nutrition, told this newspaper that the findings underline how marketing directly drives unhealthy consumption patterns. “This six-country study makes it clear that marketing is not a side issue — it’s the key driver of unhealthy food consumption.
Ultra-processed and High-Fat, Salt, and Sugar (HFSS) foods are being aggressively marketed and advertised, shaping diets and fuelling obesity,” he said. He noted that while India has acknowledged the issues under its National Multi-sectoral Action Plan (NMAP) 2017–2025 to curb obesity, meaningful restrictions on food marketing remain absent. “It’s time to act now. India should not be an exception to the global call to curb food marketing and protect children’s health,” Dr Gupta added.
The study further highlighted the powerful impact of marketing techniques such as celebrity endorsements, cartoon or movie characters, sports icons and promotional tie-ups on shaping food preferences among youth.
“Systematic reviews have shown that exposure to food and beverage marketing strongly influences youth food preferences, choices, and purchases,” the study said, warning that most food products marketed to children are nutrient-poor and energy-dense. It added that children, due to limited cognitive development, are particularly vulnerable to persuasive marketing and often unable to distinguish advertisements from regular content.
The analysis drew on data from 9,057 participants aged 10 to 17 years collected through the 2023 International Food Policy Study Youth Survey. It assessed exposure to food advertisements across television, social media, product packaging, and retail environments, and its link to dietary behaviour.
Overall, 84.5% of respondents reported exposure to ads for sugary drinks, while 89% had seen fast-food advertisements in the past month.
The study reiterated the urgent need for countries to strengthen or introduce mandatory restrictions on food marketing to limit youth exposure to unhealthy foods.
Citing the World Health Organization, the study noted that unhealthy diets are major risk factors for chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.