Abstract
ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To document the evidence about marketing of ultra-processed foods and “non-alcoholic” beverages in Latin America.METHODS We performed a structured search of quantitative and qualitative studies in PubMed, SciELO and LILACS, published between January 2000 and May 2017 and conducted in Latin America. We conducted a quality assessment following a standardized tool and a thematic analysis to identify key typologies of marketing across studiesRESULTS Out of 521 studies screened by title and abstract, we included 36 in this review; 27 of them analyzed television advertisement. Other marketing channels studied were food packaging, point of sale and outdoor advertisement. Studies found television advertises foods and beverages that are mostly ultraprocessed foods and have low nutritional value, particularly those promoted during children’s programming. We also observed children have a literal interpretation of images printed on food packaging, so this can be deceiving. Several studies also found proximity to unhealthy foods may increase their consumption. Finally, the thematic analysis identified the following typologies of food marketing: a) television advertisement, b) food packaging marketing, c) marketing strategies at points of sale and d) other marketing strategies. We found almost no advertisements for unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as fruits and vegetables. We did not find any studies on digital marketing conducted in the region.CONCLUSIONS This review found that the main channel of food marketing was television advertising. This synthesis provides insights to the challenges unhealthy eating represents to the public health of Latin America and identifies knowledge gaps to guide future research.
Highlights
IntroductionAccording to the Global Burden of Disease Study, unhealthy dietary patterns have become the third risk factor associated with disability-adjusted life years and the second risk factor associated with mortality in Latin America and Caribbean[1]
This synthesis provides insights to the challenges unhealthy eating represents to the public health of Latin America and identifies knowledge gaps to guide future research
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, unhealthy dietary patterns have become the third risk factor associated with disability-adjusted life years and the second risk factor associated with mortality in Latin America and Caribbean[1]
Summary
According to the Global Burden of Disease Study, unhealthy dietary patterns have become the third risk factor associated with disability-adjusted life years and the second risk factor associated with mortality in Latin America and Caribbean[1]. Changes in eating patterns and the growing consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages[5,6,7] characterize Latin America’s rapid nutrition transition. A study conducted in Brazil showed an increase of 4.8% in the energy value of ultra-processed foods between 2002-2003 and 2008-20096. Another Mexican study found the calories from beverages frequently marketed to children increased from 161 kcal in 1999 to 310 kcal in 20067. Marketing plays an important role in this transition process as it allows to modify and reinforce social norms that dictate the type of foods to be eaten and the manner and time to eat them. The food and beverage industries spend billions of dollars every year on advertising[10], and the vast majority of promoted products are energy-dense and nutrient-poor[11,12,13,14,15,16]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
