Is there a disparity between how food is advertised to different racial and ethnic communities? According to the L.A. Times, the answer is yes. It turns out that there are large food companies who have unhealthy products who are marketing their products on stations that have large demographics of Hispanic and African-American individuals. These shows are watched by plenty of children – and those children are influenced by the commercials to eat to their heart’s content.
“In general, ads for candy, sugary drinks, gum, and savory snacks like chips were more likely to target African American and Latino consumers, while ads for healthier dairy, juice, water, fruits, and vegetables were less likely to target those populations,” said Amelie Ramirez, director of a Latino childhood obesity prevention network.
These companies who say that they’re dedicated to the promotion of health food within the grocery stores are probably also finding that the costs for advertising during those times that the children might be watching are cheaper than at other times. The question really becomes whether it’s appropriate to market to the demographic where the cheaper ads are?
Overall, it is better to grill your food and stay away from your pre-processed snacks and chips. Only time will tell who wins this particular battle: the marketers, or the health advocates.
