Sweet Lies

It confirmed what most previous research has shown, but which companies affected have been paying high to advertise the contrary to consumers. The WHO reported that “high consumption of added sugars contributes significantly to the incidence of dental caries and obesity” with a recommendation from the researchers “that added sugars should form no more than 6–10% of total dietary intake.”

Added sugars (excluding natural sugars in milk and fruit) are derived from products such as soft drinks and confectionery. Nestle, Coca-cola and other companies producing energy-dense, low-nutrient foods typical present them as healthy, for fit lifestyles and to be consumed regularly. Such associations were discredited when experts of the WHO research cautioned that people should “eat and drink food and drinks containing sugar sparingly and not between meals.” Consumption of foods with these sugars have been related to chronic conditions such as obesity, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and diet-related cancers. A study in Rio de Janeiro identified over-consumption of coca-cola drinks (over food) as a cause of malnutrition and vitamin deficiency in children aged 6 – 14.

The International Life Science Institute (co-founded in 1978 by food companies Heinz, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, General Foods, Kraft and Procter & Gamble - and until 1991 directed by the vice-president of Coca-Cola) in an earlier publication on the health effects of sugar consumption had stated that “intake of sugars is inversely associated with the prevalence of obesity” and commented on the need to research the positive role of glucose in “facilitating mental processes.” Knowing that people trust publicly-funded academics and NGOs more than politicians or industry, the food and sugar industries have set up organisations whose job it is to fund research, put out positive messages to the media, and lobby for policies favourable to their interests. Afraid of the impact of the WHO recommendation on sales of added sugar products, the Sugar Association (whose members again include Coca-Cola, Pepsi and General Foods) went on a lobby spree, writing letters to the WHO and threatening to make the US Congress to withdraw $406m of WHO funding.

Child Victims

Yet, most advertisements of these foods target children, who understand very little of the facts behind them and are seduced by professionally mastered branding processes that present the products as authentic and cool to associate with. With increasing inter-industry competition, a multitude of aggressive marketing techniques have developed, all aimed at creating large dedicated consumer followings. Advertisers are not only on TV and billboards anymore; they’re in schools, at home, in science institutes, in cultures, basically every place where there is a wallet. Children are the most susceptible, reason why worldwide there’s growing pressure on the urgent need to restrict corporate encroachment and to protect especially children from being bought into brand addicts. To date, over 28,000 people have sent letters to JK Rowling, author of the internationally best-selling children’s book series Harry Potter asking her to withdraw from an advertising deal with Coca-Cola, and “Save Harry from the clutches of Coca-Cola”. The campaign Save Harry! is coordinated by the US Center for Science in the Public Interest.

According to recent reports, for every $1 spent by the WHO on trying to improve the nutrition of the world’s population, $500 is spent by the food industry on promoting processed foods. By 2001, the world food-industry advertising budget was estimated at $40 billion, a figure greater than the Gross Domestic Product of 70% of the world’s nations. A survey of children’s television in 13 industrialised countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK and the US) has found that food advertising accounts for almost half of all the advertising shown during children’s TV viewing times. Among others, the survey showed that:
• Confectionery, pre-sweetened breakfast cereals and fast-food restaurants account for more than half of all food advertisements on children's TV;
• Savoury snacks, high-sugar dairy products, ready-prepared foods, soft drinks, cakes, biscuits and desserts are also commonly advertised in most countries;
• Advertisements for healthier foods such as fruit and vegetables are very rare, even non-existent in eight of the countries surveyed;
• About three quarters of the foods advertised to children are ones that health experts recommend they should eat least;
• It identified the fast-food restaurant McDonald’s as the “most prolific advertiser” overall.

In fact, consider this letter published in an international magazine, written by a reader fed up with this prolification:
“I was appalled today. We went to watch the ceremony for turning on our town’s Christmas lights, and were shocked to find that the mayor’s “special guest” was one Mr Ronald MacDonald. The stripey-trousered red-haired clown got a full 3 minutes of mic time that included terrifying moments, like when he led the crowd (mostly small children with their parents) in six chants of “I’m lovin’ it!” Towards the end of his corporate rally, he asked: “Who wants an early Christmas present?” He then handed away two-for-one Happy Meal vouchers.” Martin Coote, Maidstone, United Kingdom.

More techniques used to target children:
• Advertise during children’s TV and cinema; sponsor children’s TV; link up with popular children’s films (Disney); use celebrities, e.g. Britney Spears drinks Pepsi.
• Offer free movie tickets, offer vouchers as a ‘reward’ to children for achievement in school.
• Colonize schools. Coke and Pepsi have aggressively sought exclusive contracts with local school systems allowing them to supply soda machines and products. In Hillsborough County, in the US, for example, In 2001 Coke had contracts of up to eight more years in 17 of the country's 19 high schools. Pepsi Cola offered the school district a 10-year deal estimated to be worth $43 million in exchange for exclusive rights.
• Offer collectable toys; the more one consumes, the more toys he or she can collect. McDonald’s acknowledges (in a press advert, The Telegraph, UK 2003) that marketing techniques, such as free toys given away with McDonald’s meals, may be more influential on children’s choices than the quality of the food.
• Include games and offers on websites, simple point-and-click computer games, cartoons, and free graphics or animations available to download. These often repeat brand images, and involve the icon of the company which imprints on children’s minds after repeated plays.
• Sponsor children’s football clubs, sporting and pop music events. During such events the logo and icons of the advertiser occupy the most conspicuous spots, such that the atmosphere or success of the even is mentally associated with the imposing adverts.
• Compromise nutritive quality to make the food cheap and available as widely as possible – vending machines in school corridors and streets, food stands;
• Adapt to (local) cultures. In Zambia aggressive advertising caused mothers to give their babies soft drinks instead of food. A wave of debilitating malnutrition, known as ‘Fanta Baby’ spread throughout the country. The adverts in question were eventually banned.

A notorious case study of how adamant a company can be against public outcry is reflected in the Baby Milk Action. Nestlé has repeatedly come under heat for violating international advertisement codes, lying about scientific research in order to promote its products, and inducing mothers through dubious means into proven unhealthy diets for their babies. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.5 million babies die every year as a result of not being breastfed and Nestle has been warned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Yet, according to Mike Aaronson, Director General of Save the Children (UK), Nestlé continues to promote artificial feeding in ways that undermine breastfeeding, and its baby food marketing puts profits before health. Baby Milk Action coordinates the 18 country international Nestle boycott, focusing on Nestle because it controls about 40% of the world market in baby milks and uses its influence to undermine controls on marketing activities. Monitoring shows Nestle to be the largest single source of marketing code violations worldwide. The Boycott is supported in the UK by over 100 church, health and consumer groups, over 90 businesses, 80 student unions, 17 local authorities, 12 trade unions, 74 politicians and political parties and many celebrities.

Enough is enough!
In most countries, the food industry continues to have unfettered access to children. However, several countries recognise that food marketing should be controlled, some form of child protection is needed, and have introduced statutory regulation, or made government recommendations for strengthened voluntary controls. These are just some of the campaigns in recent years, demonstrating the groundswell of popular support that could be harnessed by coordinated action to improve children’s diets and health.

In schools…
Several school districts have made headlines by ousting advertising and sales of fatty and sugary foods from school vending machines or canteens.
• Schools are ad-free zones in Japan. There are no commercial promotions in schools. In public schools, as the Japanese Offspring Fund consumer group reports, ‘No ads or coupons or commercial materials are distributed to teachers or kids or parents.’
• In New York City, school menus will soon provide low-fat and low-salt foods. Sugary drinks in vending machines will be replaced by fruit juice and water.
• San Francisco plans to ban junk food and soda in schools starting with the 2003-2004 academic year. Sacramento and Buffalo City are considering similar moves.
• Los Angeles school district, one of the largest in America with more than 700,000 students, has banned junk food and soda sales in its schools.
• In Seattle, a parents’ group called Citizens’ Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools lobbied successfully to ban advertising in the district’s schools. It is now aiming for state-wide legislation in Washington State.

Statutory controls…
• The Belgium Flemish region does not permit advertising five minutes before and after programmes for children under 12.
• Denmark allows no advertising breaks during children’s programmes and in 2000 implemented a voluntary ban on advertising to children (overturned in 2002).
• Norway is seeking a ban on advertisements before, during or after children’s programmes.
• With some narrow exceptions for certain types of magazines, the Canadian province of Quebec has for the past two decades prohibited all advertising directed at children under the age of 13.
• Sweden does not permit advertising aimed at children under 12, does not allow programmes to be interrupted by advertising and does not permit advertising before or after children’s programmes.
• In Australia there is a ban on all advertising during pre-school children’s programmes.
• In the Netherlands there are limits on the volume of advertising during children’s programmes.
• In Finland, McDonald’s cannot promote toys in its advertisements.
• In Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands, characters or presenters from children’s programmes cannot appear in advertisements.

This article first appeared in the magazine Tudatos Vasarlo issue 2.