March 28, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A new study released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that kids see an average of 18,000 television ads each year, and the majority of those ads are for food products with little or no nutritional value.

The study found that 34 percent of the ads kids see are for candy and snack foods, 28 percent are for cereals, and 10 percent are for fast food.

“This new study highlights just how big an issue junk food ads have become for parents trying to raise healthy kids in a 24/7 media environment,” said Common Sense Media CEO and founder Jim Steyer. “Parents need to be vigilant and very involved in their kids’ media lives – and that includes monitoring the kinds of ads that kids see, particularly when they are young.”

Research from the Centers for Disease Control shows that nearly one in five kids aged 6 to 11 is obese, and the rate of childhood obesity in this country keeps rising. Dozens of studies have suggested that the more time children spend watching television, the more likely they are to become obese.

“Media use can increase a child’s risk of obesity in a few ways,” Steyer said. “First, the more time kids spend with the media, the more junk food ads they’ll see. Second, spending too much time with the media can encourage sedentary lifestyles – when kids are watching television, it means they aren’t outside running around. Third, media use can encourage excess snacking. Kids are more likely to munch on chips or candy when they’re on the couch watching television.”

To help parents keep their kids’ media use healthy, Common Sense offers the following tips:

• Set limits on how much time your child spends with media, and stick to them.
• Keep the television, computer and video game consoles out of your kids’ bedrooms.
• Watch media with your kids, and point out when someone is selling them something that isn’t good for them.
• Don’t eat with the TV – your kids will look to your behavior as an example.

Common Sense Media is the leading non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the media environment for kids and families.