Fat, sugar and salt
Young influencers promote unhealthy foods
Influencers of child and adolescent age mainly present unhealthy foods on YouTube. The majority of the products shown contain a lot of fat, sugar and salt, according to MedUni Vienna. A research team has now analyzed 162 videos from seven German-speaking influencers.
This involved a total of 901 presentations and 33.8 hours of material. Their investigation revealed that two thirds (67%) of the products presented contain too much fat, sugar and salt and therefore do not comply with the nutritional profiles of the World Health Organization (WHO). These serve as the basis for assessing marketing to children.
According to MedUni Vienna, chocolate and other confectionery dominate the videos. However, other products that are classified as unhealthy by the WHO are also presented in a child-friendly way much more often than healthy foods. In addition, the unhealthy products received more positive ratings and verbal reactions.
"These subtle product representations significantly influence their (i.e. the children who watch these videos) eating habits and preferences and increase the risk of developing overweight and obesity and their secondary diseases," warned study leader Eva Winzer from the Center for Public Health.
In addition, there is advertising for certain brands, although paid advertising in child-friendly content on the YouTube platform is officially prohibited. The researchers are calling for more studies and independent monitoring to evaluate the consequences in the long term. A digital environment should support healthy eating.
In addition to the discussion about the regulation of children's marketing, measures to promote media literacy are also essential.
MedUni Wien
"In addition to the discussion about the regulation of children's marketing, measures to promote media literacy are also essential. At the same time, the influencers themselves and the food industry should also be held more accountable in order to enable sustainable change," it says. The study has been published in the journal "BMC Public Health".
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