Abstract
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.
Highlights
A complete breakfast that includes fresh ingredients and foods should be a healthy habit for both adults and children, the latter of whom need to concentrate in class during the morning
Spain was found to be the healthiest country in the world in 2019, Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence among children and adolescents is decreasing significantly in this country, and among all Southern European countries, where childhood obesity is increasing alarmingly
Our results seem to indicate that the Spanish food industry promotes unhealthy products for breakfast, especially those targeted to children if we focus on the sugar content, which is about 36.20% on average
Summary
A complete breakfast that includes fresh ingredients and foods should be a healthy habit for both adults and children, the latter of whom need to concentrate in class during the morning. Previous research highlighted that a global nutrition transition had been fueled by food processing, preservation, and retail [8] This transition from traditional MD to high-sugar food intake, among many other causes, is increasing the prevalence of obesity and metabolic diseases in Mediterranean countries [9]. Different studies have shown that low nutritional quality has been observed in the breakfasts that Mediterranean children and adolescents consume. Regarding this fact, the consumption of packaged products that do not require any type of preparation, such as industrial pastries, high-sugar cereal bars, or prepared milkshakes, is increasing [1,12]. Regularly feeding children with biscuits or high-sugar products may change their taste preferences and may increase their future consumption of sweeter foods in general [14]
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