Food Marketing Influence on Child Health

Food marketing exerts a multifaceted influence on children’s health by shaping their dietary attitudes, preferences and consumption patterns from an early age. Through a range of techniques—television advertising, packaging design, in-school promotions, digital media, social influencers and peer-to-peer content—unhealthy food and beverage brands embed themselves in the daily lives of young people. Evidence indicates that exposure to persuasive marketing increases children’s immediate caloric intake, fosters long-term brand loyalty to energy-dense, nutrient-poor products and amplifies health disparities. Industry self-regulation has consistently failed to curtail aggressive marketing practices, while comprehensive governmental policies show greater promise when they combine clear nutrient profiling, broad media scope and robust enforcement. The global rise of digital marketing—spanning advergames, earned media and targeted social media campaigns—has intensified young people’s vulnerability, demanding an urgent recalibration of public health measures. Collaborative action across governments, civil society and health advocates is critical to protect children from the commercial determinants of poor nutrition and to support healthier food environments worldwide.

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Food Marketing Influence on Child Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in food marketing influence on child health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Self-regulation: Industry-led codes and pledges intended to limit marketing to children, typically lacking independent enforcement.

Nutrient profiling: Classification systems that categorise foods based on their nutritional composition to determine marketing eligibility.

Earned media: Consumer-generated or peer-to-peer marketing content that amplifies brand messages through social sharing.

Advergames: Branded digital games designed to engage users and subtly promote food or beverage products.

Non-core foods: Energy-dense, nutrient-poor products that are not recommended for marketing to children due to adverse health impacts.

References

1. Food Marketing Influences Children’s Attitudes, Preferences and Consumption: A Systematic Critical Review. Nutrients (2019).
2. The effect of screen advertising on children's dietary intake: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews (2018).
3. Association of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing With Children and Adolescents’ Eating Behaviors and Health. JAMA Pediatrics (2022).
4. Comprehensive mandatory policies are needed to fully protect all children from unhealthy food marketing. PLOS Medicine (2023).
5. Strengthening Global Legislative Actions to Protect Children from the Harmful Impacts of Unhealthy Food and Non-alcoholic Beverage Marketing. Current Obesity Reports (2023).
6. Normalizing junk food: The frequency and reach of posts related to food and beverage brands on social media. PLOS Digital Health (2024).
7. The Effects of Digital Marketing of Unhealthy Commodities on Young People: A Systematic Review. Nutrients (2018).