Marketing of unhealthy food products to children

Background Marketing unhealthy foods to children, especially via advertising on television is regarded as a causal factor for unhealthy dietary habits and diet-associated diseases among children. In Germany marketing to children is practically unrestricted by law. Objective This article summarizes the problem of the marketing of unhealthy foods to children based on some essential characteristics and highlights the extent in Germany based on current findings. Material and methods Essential findings on the issue are presented and the significance for a compact presentation of the topic are aggregated. Results Marketing of unhealthy foods directed at children has emerged as a systematic factor in high-income countries. Marketing techniques exploit characteristics of child development, e.g. via emotionalized framings, inclusion of promotional characters in the advertising or adding collectable items to the products. In Germany children are daily exposed to ca. 15 advertisements for unhealthy foods on TV and the Internet. Conclusion Marketing of unhealthy foods directed at children leads to unhealthy diets, poor nutritional knowledge and contributes to obesity in childhood. Hence it is important to implement an effective regulation on marketing unhealthy food to children in Germany, especially on television and the Internet.