Food consumption and food advertising: contrasts in schooled children

Abstract

Introduction: Mexico occupies one of the first places in childhood obesity in the world, due to this, the United Nations Children’s Fund recently commended the country to implement regulations on the content of food advertising focused on children, given the relationship of this with the consumption of unhealthy foods, overweight and obesity. Object: To contrast the perception of food advertising regarding the adequate and inadequate consumption of the different food groups in school children in northeastern Mexico. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive and comparative study was developed, selecting through random probabilistic sampling a sample of 196 children from first to sixth grade, who were given a reminder of food consumption and a food advertising perception questionnaire. television. Results and discussion: The children presented inadequate consumption of all the food groups, except water, consuming it adequately. Likewise, 32.8% of children consider that food advertising has changed their way of eating. Finally, significant differences were found, but with a small effect size between food consumption and food advertising, as in the case of feeling strong watching commercials, consuming more dairy products and foods of animal origin, as well as considering that commercials make them eat more junk food and consume more sugars. Conclusion: It is important to regulate the contents presented in these advertising messages, since the children’s segment to whom they are directed is highly influenced.