Galcheva S V, Iotova V M, Stratev V K
Department of Paediatrics and Medical Genetics, Varna University Hospital St. Marina, Varna, Bulgaria.
Arch Dis Child. 2008 Oct;93(10):857-61. doi: 10.1136/adc.2007.134437. Epub 2008 May 2.
Childhood obesity is a serious health problem worldwide with a prevalence rising to epidemic proportions. Television viewing is suspected as an important contributor and along with food advertisements significantly influence children's unhealthy dietary habits, purchase requests and adiposity.
To examine the exposure of Bulgarian children to television food advertising and to make a content analysis of the food/beverage advertisements during children's television programmes.
41.5 h of children's television programming on three national networks, were videotaped. All recorded food advertisements were evaluated to identify the marketing strategies used for the stimulation of children's purchase requests.
Food/beverage advertisements accounted for 124 (33.4%) of all commercials, with 96.8% being for unhealthy foods. 57% of them were aimed specifically at children as the most advertised products were salty/sweetened snacks and cereals, sweets, soft drinks/carbohydrate juices and salty foods, with no fruit or vegetable commercials. Food advertisements used more themes of adventure, animation, music and gifts to attract children's attention, and gave information based on the product's taste, physical qualities, novelty, presence of premiums/prizes. Of all food/beverage advertisements, 27.4% contained health-related information about the products; three-quarters of the advertisements were shot with young normal-weight actors with a good/healthy appearance.
Almost all recorded food advertisements do not support the Bulgarian dietary recommendations for healthy and balanced eating. More activities to reduce the unhealthy food promotion to children are mandatory as restrictions by type of advertised food, target group or limits on the advertisements' account and times shown, as well as parental/self-regulation.
儿童肥胖是一个全球性的严重健康问题，其患病率已上升到流行程度。看电视被怀疑是一个重要因素，电视与食品广告一起显著影响儿童不健康的饮食习惯、购买需求和肥胖情况。
研究保加利亚儿童接触电视食品广告的情况，并对儿童电视节目中的食品/饮料广告进行内容分析。
对三个国家电视台41.5小时的儿童电视节目进行录像。对所有录制的食品广告进行评估，以确定用于刺激儿童购买需求的营销策略。
食品/饮料广告占所有广告的124条（33.4%），其中96.8%是不健康食品的广告。其中57%是专门针对儿童的，因为广告最多的产品是咸味/甜味零食和谷类食品、糖果、软饮料/碳水化合物果汁以及咸味食品，没有水果或蔬菜广告。食品广告更多地使用冒险、动画、音乐和礼物等主题来吸引儿童的注意力，并根据产品的口味、物理特性、新奇性、是否有赠品/奖品来提供信息。在所有食品/饮料广告中，27.4%包含有关产品的健康相关信息；四分之三的广告由外表良好/健康的正常体重年轻演员出演。
几乎所有录制的食品广告都不符合保加利亚关于健康均衡饮食的饮食建议。必须开展更多活动，减少向儿童推广不健康食品的行为，如对广告食品类型、目标群体进行限制，或对广告数量和播放时间加以限制，以及进行家长/自我监管。
