Breakfast Food Advertisements in Mediterranean Countries: Products' Sugar Content in the Adverts from 2015 to 2019

Although Spain was considered to be the healthiest country in the world in 2019, some studies reported that Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, especially for breakfast, is low among children in Mediterranean countries, where child obesity is increasing alarmingly. This study correlated longitudinall...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: Montaña Blasco, Mireia
Tipo de documento: artigo
Data de publicação:2021
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Repositório:O2, repositorio institucional de la UOC
OAI Identifier:oai:openaccess.uoc.edu:10609/136667
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/10609/136667
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:breakfast
childhood obesity
food advertising
food policy
Mediterranean diet
sugar-sweetened food
Descrição
Resumo:Although Spain was considered to be the healthiest country in the world in 2019, some studies reported that Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence, especially for breakfast, is low among children in Mediterranean countries, where child obesity is increasing alarmingly. This study correlated longitudinally the sugar content of breakfast products with advertising strategies. The research design applied quantitative analysis to compile the advertising data from 2015 to 2019 for all media, qualitative analysis of the content, and the use of popular characters to promote the food purchase. Additionally, a nutritional analysis was used to determine the products¿ sugar content. The results were analyzed according to the target they were aimed at (adults or children). Results showed that the Spanish food industry promoted unhealthy products for breakfast, especially those targeted to children, with very high sugar content. To improve the childhood obesity rate in Spain, greater involvement from the food industry is needed. The reformulation of breakfast products must be a priority along with additional sugar reduction strategies so as not to lose adherence to MD in younger generations. More nutrition education is necessary among children, especially on balanced breakfast consumption, a basic meal that helps children to concentrate better in class during the morning.