The Role of Social Media Advertisement and Physical Activity on Eating Behaviors among the General Population in Saudi Arabia.

Over the past few decades, people in Saudi Arabia have become less inclined to adopt active lifestyles and healthy eating habits due to the increasing use of digital technologies such as social media. The objective of this online-based cross-sectional study was to assess the role of social media food advertisements and physical activity on eating behaviors among the general population in Saudi Arabia (n = 471). Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, which consisted of four parts: (i) sociodemographic information, (ii) attitude towards social media, (iii) eating behaviors-related information, and (iv) exposure to and engagement with social media advertisements. The study's outcome variable, eating behaviors (healthy vs. unhealthy), was assessed using the following question: "Are you on a healthy diet (such as a balanced diet, keto, or low carb)?" A multiple binary logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors that influence unhealthy eating behaviors. Approximately 79.6% of the participants had unhealthy eating behaviors. Participants who were not involved in daily physical activity were more likely to have unhealthy eating behaviors compared to their counterparts (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 4.86). Participants who watched food ads on social media channels 1-3 times a week (AOR = 2.58) or daily (AOR = 3.49) were more likely to have unhealthy eating behaviors than their counterparts. Participants whose appetite to try foods increases always (AOR = 1.42) or usually (AOR = 2.88) after viewing ads on social media were more likely to have unhealthy eating behaviors. These findings suggest that policymakers should take immediate action to regulate food advertising policy to promote a healthy food environment across the country. Saudis should be encouraged to engage in more physical activity, which could support the maintenance of healthy eating patterns and lifestyles.

Food advertisement influences food decision making and not nutritional status: a study among university students in Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Consumers are exposed to a wide range of advertisements through different channels daily, which tends to have an influence on their food decision making. The aim of this study was to evaluate the different forms of food advertisements students are exposed to on campus and how they influence their food choices and nutritional status. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted to find out the influence of different forms of food advertisements on students' food choices and nutritional status. A self-reported semi-structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from 367 students. About 51.5% of the students were females and 48.5% males. Body Mass index (BMI) was derived from weight and height measured according to standard procedures. Data was analysed and presented as frequencies and percentages. Chi-square was used to determine association between categorical variables (socio-demographic characteristics, food choices and nutritional status). RESULTS: The students reported 'use of internet' (58.9%) as the main source of food advertisement on campus, followed by television (21.0%). A large number of students (74.9%) were affirmative about food advertisements influencing their food decision making. Those with poor nutritional status (underweight, overweight and obese) were more likely to patronize sugar sweetened beverages (10.1%) as compared to fruits and vegetables (1.4%). There was statistical significance (p = 0.003) for type of food patronized due to advertisement and the source of advertisement. However, there was no statistical significance (p = 0.832) for type of food patronized due to advertisement and BMI of students. CONCLUSION: Owing to the increased patronage of internet and television as channels of food advertisements by students, policy makers should prioritize the designing and implementation of intervention programmes through these channels that would influence healthy food decision making and promote consumption of nutrient rich foods. As this population has high self-reported advertisements' influence on food choices, it is vital to investigate further the influence of contextual cues such as environment and advertisement on their eating habits and dietary patterns.

Exposure of Children to Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertisements in South Africa.

Television (TV) is a powerful medium for marketing food and beverages. Food and beverage marketers tend to use this medium to target children with the hope that children will in turn influence their families' food choices. No study has assessed the compliance of TV marketers with the South African Marketing to Children pledge since the enactment of the 2014 food advertising recommendations by the South African Department of Health and the Advertising Standards Authority. This study investigated the extent and nature of advertising of unhealthy versus healthy food and beverages to children in South African TV broadcasting channels. The date, time, type, frequency and target audience of food advertisements (ads) on four free-to-air South African TV channels were recorded and captured using a structured assessment guide. The presence of persuasive marketing techniques was also assessed. Unhealthy food and beverage advertising was recorded at a significantly higher rate compared with healthy food and beverages during the time frame when children were likely to be watching TV. Brand benefit claims, health claims and power strategies (e.g., advertising using cartoon characters and celebrated individuals) were used as persuasive strategies. These persuasive strategies were used more in unhealthy versus healthy food ads. The findings are in breach of the South African Marketing to Children pledge and suggest a failure of the industry self-regulation system. We recommend the introduction of monitored and enforced statutory regulations to ensure healthy TV food advertising space.

Healthwashing in high-sugar food advertising: the effect of prior information on healthwashing perceptions in Austria.

In the context of exceeding levels of sugar consumption, some food companies advertise high-sugar products using inappropriate and misleading health claims (i.e. healthwashing). To reduce sugar consumption, consumers need to recognize what these healthwashed claims are. This study investigates how prior sugar-related health information moderates the effect of exposure to healthwashed advertisements (ads) on healthwashing perceptions and how such perceptions are related to attitudes towards product consumption. We conducted a 2 × 2 online experiment with 292 adult participants in Austria. We manipulated the presence of healthwashing and participants' prior sugar-related health information. The results indicated that exposure to healthwashed ads increased healthwashing perceptions only when the participants received additional health information prior to ad exposure, whereas no significant effect was found when the participants did not receive such prior health information. Healthwashing perceptions were then negatively related to individuals' attitudes towards product consumption. Based on these results, the study suggests that public access to health-related information might play an important role in empowering consumers to detect inappropriate health claims and become more critical towards food companies' underlying strategies in ads.

Public acceptance of obesity prevention policies in the UK.

BACKGROUND: Half of the UK population will get cancer during their lifetime, with the current survival rate at 50 %. Behavioural factors such as obesity contribute to two-fifths of the UK's most common cancers. Food 'pricing' and 'place and promotion' policies aim to avert this risk by reducing the rate of obesity in the UK. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey collected data on the acceptance of obesity-related pricing and place and promotion policies from 3293 UK adults in 2016. Cross-tabulations and chi-squared tests were performed to investigate the support for these policies in the four UK countries and different socioeconomic groups. RESULTS: Only two-fifths of respondents supported all policies. Food place and promotion policies were better supported by the public than taxation, with over 70 % support for the promotion of healthy foods as opposed to 40 % support for 'fat tax'. The most deprived social groups were least supportive of all policies. There was not a noticeable difference in policy support between the four UK countries. CONCLUSION: The support for obesity policies is low, most notably amongst lower socioeconomic groups and for policies involving a price increase, across the UK. POLICY SUMMARY: Obesity prevention policies could reduce the rate of related cancers, but their success requires public support and acceptance. Increasing tax on unhealthy foods is less well supported in the UK population than policies which affect the in-store placement and promotion of these products. Lower levels of support for all these policies among low-income groups, among whom obesity and cancer rates are highest, indicate a particular need for strategies to increase policy support in these groups.

Television food advertisements and childhood obesity: A systematic review.

The prevalence of childhood obesity has increased worldwide and various environmental factors have accelerated this trend. Several reports have suggested that food advertising causes childhood obesity. We proposed a review study to evaluate the relationship between TV food advertisements and obesity in children. By searching over electronic databases (including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar), the reference lists of original studies, and reviews using key search terms, 1181 articles were identified. Out of these, only 9 articles met the inclusion and quality criteria. Most of the longitudinal study carried out at the national level have reported a significant association between commercial viewing and BMI in children. The duration of these studies varied between 7 months and 5 years. The children's TV viewing time was between 1.5 and 3.5 hours per day. Results of the reviewed studies have revealed a controversial attitude about the influence of TV food advertisements on obesity. However, three of four modeling studies indicated an increment in the prevalence of overweight and obesity following exposure to food advertisements. Further interventional and longitude studies are needed to achieve more precise results.

What happens when you compare yourself to a model eating a cheeseburger? An experiment testing the impact of models promoting calorie-dense foods on beliefs about weight maintenance, body satisfaction, and purchase intent.

BACKGROUND: Ads depicting models promoting calorie-dense foods and beverages are ubiquitous and no known research has examined their effects on consumers. Drawing from social comparison theory, we hypothesized that participants who viewed ads with models (versus without models) would be more likely to rate models and less likely to rate themselves as able to consume the calorie-dense foods regularly and still maintain their weight/shape. We also hypothesized that participants who viewed ads with models (versus without models) would report more body dissatisfaction and, consistent with consumer research, a greater intention to purchase the product. METHODS: Participants (N = 168) were randomly assigned to view food or beverage ads with models or without models and completed self-report measures. RESULTS: Participants who viewed ads without models were more likely to rate themselves and most people as able to consume calorie-dense foods regularly and maintain their weight/shape and reported a greater intention to purchase the product. Consistent with our hypotheses, participants who viewed ads with models reported increased body dissatisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that consumers' perceptions of their own and others' abilities to regularly consume calorie-dense foods and maintain their weight/shape change based on whether (or not) the calorie-dense foods are promoted by a model. Our findings reveal the nuanced negative effects of calorie-dense food ads with and without models and give insight into the psychological and potential physical health consequences that food ads can have on consumers.

The effect of influencer marketing of food and a "protective" advertising disclosure on children's food intake.

BACKGROUND: Children are active on social media and consequently are exposed to new and subtle forms of food marketing. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether exposure to a YouTube video featuring influencer marketing of an unhealthy snack affects children's ad libitum snack intake and whether inclusion of an advertising disclosure moderates this effect. METHODS: In a randomized between-subjects design, 151 children (aged 9-11 y; mean, 10.32 y ± 0.6) were exposed to influencer marketing of a non-food product (n = 51), or an unhealthy snack with (n = 50) or without (n = 50) an advertising disclosure. Participants' ad libitum intake of the marketed snack and an alternative brand of the same snack was measured. RESULTS: Children exposed to food marketing with (P < .001, d = 1.40) and without (P < .001, d = 1.07) a disclosure consumed more (kcals) of the marketed snack relative to the alternative; the control did not differ (.186, d = 0.45). Consumption of the alterative brand did not differ across conditions (.287, ηp2 = .02). Children who viewed food marketing with a disclosure (and not those without) consumed 41% more of the marketed snack (.004, ηp2 = .06), compared with control. CONCLUSIONS: Influencer marketing increases children's immediate intake of the promoted snack relative to an alternative brand. Advertising disclosures may enhance the effect.

Content of Food Advertising for Young Adolescents on Television.

BACKGROUND: Food related advertisements on television may have a major influence on the dietary habits and obesity among young adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and typology of food advertisements on most popular television channels, watched by school-going young adolescents in Delhi. METHODOLOGY: Biphasic study to (a) identify the three television channels most frequently watched by administering a questionnaire to 400 school going young adolescents; and (b) view each of these channels for 2 hours per day for 6 days each, and observe the content of advertisements related to foods, beverages, and food outlets. RESULTS: Four hundred and three food related advertisements were viewed over 36 hour on Discovery, MTV and Disney Channels. Among 235 food related advertisements 163 (69.3%) pertained to candies, chocolates and confectionary and 35 (14.8%) to salty snacks. Sugar sweetened soft drinks contributed 90 of 106 (85%) of beverage advertisements. Of 62 advertisements related to food outlets, 59 were of fast food joints. CONCLUSION: Majority of food advertising content on television most commonly watched by young adolescents is related to unhealthy foods and beverages, igh in energy and low in micronutrient content.

A content analysis of food advertising on Turkish television.

The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive content analysis of Television (TV) food advertising and compare various food advertisements on free-to-air Turkish national TV channels by broadcast time (duration) and frequency over the period of a week (19-25 April 2012). TV food advertisements were the unit of content analysis in this study. Each advertisement identified as promoting a food product was analysed for content; non-food advertisements were not analysed, although they were counted as a proportion of the advertisements aired. We recorded all programmes for 4 h each per day (7 p.m.-11 p.m.), totalling 84 h. Five types of food-related advertisements were identified (basic foods, junk foods, meat products, beverages and fast food), and six types of non-food advertisements. The Student t-test and ANOVA were used to compare the mean broadcast time of all prime time advertising for the two groups. The mean broadcast times for prime time, non-food advertisements showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). This difference is related to the prime time period 7 p.m.-8 p.m. being considered dinner time for most Turkish families. Additionally, the number and broadcast times of beverage advertisements increased during this time period, while the broadcast time per beverage advertisement decreased (ratio = 20.8 s per ads). As a result, TV food advertising increased not only during dinner time but also in overall broadcast time (per advertisement). These findings may be useful for explaining how advertising can negatively influence food choices, thereby increasing public awareness of the need for health messages targeting obesity.

Publicidade de alimentos e escolhas alimentares de crianças / Food advertising and children's food choices

O efeito de vídeos de desenhos com publicidade de alimentos saudáveis e não saudáveis versus vídeos neutros sobre as escolhas alimentares foi avaliado em 24 crianças de escola pública. Os vídeos foram apresentados em cinco sessões, sendo cada grupo exposto a uma sequência específica de publicidade. Após a exposição, a criança escolhia figuras de alimentos para as refeições do dia. Análises intra e entre sujeitos, por meio da Ancova de medidas repetidas, demonstraram que, com a mudança de vídeo, as crianças alteraram em até 13% a escolha de alimentos saudáveis ou não. O aumento da exibição de publicidade de alimentos saudáveis e a diminuição da publicidade de alimentos não saudáveis pode contribuir para a alimentação e peso saudáveis.

The effect of cartoon videos with advertisements of healthy and unhealthy food versus neutral videos on food choices was assessed in 24 children from a public school. The videos were presented in 5 sessions. Each group was exposed to a specific sequence of advertisement. After the exposure of the videos, the child chose food figures for daily meals. Within and between subject analyses, performed by repeated measures ANCOVA, showed that with change of videos, the children altered by up to 13% their choices of healthy or unhealthy food. The increase of healthy food advertising and the decrease of unhealthy food advertising may contribute for healthy food and weight.

Publicidade de alimentos e escolhas alimentares de crianças / Food advertising and children's food choices

O efeito de vídeos de desenhos com publicidade de alimentos saudáveis e não saudáveis versus vídeos neutros sobre as escolhas alimentares foi avaliado em 24 crianças de escola pública. Os vídeos foram apresentados em cinco sessões, sendo cada grupo exposto a uma sequência específica de publicidade. Após a exposição, a criança escolhia figuras de alimentos para as refeições do dia. Análises intra e entre sujeitos, por meio da Ancova de medidas repetidas, demonstraram que, com a mudança de vídeo, as crianças alteraram em até 13% a escolha de alimentos saudáveis ou não. O aumento da exibição de publicidade de alimentos saudáveis e a diminuição da publicidade de alimentos não saudáveis pode contribuir para a alimentação e peso saudáveis.(AU)

The effect of cartoon videos with advertisements of healthy and unhealthy food versus neutral videos on food choices was assessed in 24 children from a public school. The videos were presented in 5 sessions. Each group was exposed to a specific sequence of advertisement. After the exposure of the videos, the child chose food figures for daily meals. Within and between subject analyses, performed by repeated measures ANCOVA, showed that with change of videos, the children altered by up to 13% their choices of healthy or unhealthy food. The increase of healthy food advertising and the decrease of unhealthy food advertising may contribute for healthy food and weight.(AU)

Estudio descriptivo de la frecuencia y duración de la publicidad alimentaria emitida en la programación de canales de televisión asociados a anatel / Descriptive study of the frequency and duration of food advertisement in the programming of the television channels members of the anatel group

The objective of this study was to analyze television advertisements from different TV channels which are part of the Chilean National Television Association. During one week in January and one week in February of 2010 the advertisements were screened. The analysis selected and classified food's advertising as healthy, moderately healthy and unhealthy based on food's critic nutritional components: total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates and sodium using as reference a classification chart called "Traffic Light System" and created by the UK Food Standard Agency. Sixty thousand four hundred and twenty five (6.425) advertisements were registered and analyzed accounting for 56 hours and 36 minutes in total. One thousand forty five (1.045) advertisements were identified as food advertisements (16 percent) accounting for 7 hours and 42 minutes (14 percent) of the total. Nutritional labels of the products were studied in order to classify and select them as described above. From the total offood advertisements it was observed that 64 percent were related to unhealthy food; 27 percent to moderately healthy and 9 percent to healthy food; accounting for respectively 62 percent, 30 percent and 8 percent, respectively, of the total time reported on food advertisement. Food advertisements are mostly unhealthy, promoting food consumption with high levels of fat, sugar and sodium. The broadcasting of this type of advertisements by television promotes the population to follow unhealthy life styles which result in a deterioration of their health.

El objetivo de este estudio, fue describir la Publicidad Alimentaria emitida por los canales pertenecientes a la Asociación Nacional de Televisión. En una semana de enero y una de febrero del año 2010 se seleccionó y clasificó la publicidad alimentaria emitida como saludable, medianamente saludable y no saludable, en base al contenido de nutrientes críticos; grasa total, grasa saturada, hidratos de carbono simples y sodio. Se utilizó como criterio de referencia, la tabla de clasificación de la Agencia Nacional de Alimentos de Inglaterra, denominada "semáforo nutricional". Se registraron y analizaron 6425 anuncios correspondientes a 56 horas 36 minutos continuas de tiempo, de ellos, se identificaron 1045 anuncios alimentarios (16 por ciento), equivalente en tiempo a 7 horas 42 minutos (14 por ciento) del total. Se examinaron las etiquetas nutricionales de los productos para la selección y calificación en saludable, medianamente saludable y no saludable. Se observó, que del total de la publicidad alimentaria, el 64 por ciento correspondió a publicidad alimentaria no saludable; el 27 por ciento, a publicidad alimentaria medianamente saludable y, el 9 por ciento publicidad alimentaria saludable, con un tiempo de emisión de un 62 por ciento, 30 por ciento y 8 por ciento, respectivamente. La publicidad alimentaria emitida es principalmente no saludable, promueve el consumo de alimentos altos en grasa, azúcar y sodio. La televisión al emitir esta publicidad promueve e incentiva a la población a llevar estilos de vida no saludables, en desmedro de la salud de la población.