Effects of digital marketing of ultra-processed food on health and nutrition-related lifestyle choices in Lebanese adolescents.

Description :

The last decades have seen a steady increase in the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity across most regions in the world. Childhood overweight trends are alarming and represent a serious health problem. Overweight and its severe form, obesity, carry heavy societal and economic consequences for children, families, and their communities. Children’s and adolescents’ diets are in part shaped by the food environment, the physical, economic, political, and sociocultural contexts through which consumers interact with food systems to purchase, prepare, and consume food. A recent systematic review showed strong evidence that television advertising influences the food and beverage preferences of children aged two to 11 years old. The use of social media among adolescents is also widespread and its influence on adolescents’ wellbeing can be affected by many complex factors, including the amount of time they spend on platforms, the type of content they consume, the activities and interactions they engage in, and the extent to which they disrupt activities necessary for health, such as sleep and physical activity. Given the increased role of digital media in the lives of children and adolescents, the potential for marketers to reach these audiences through digital applications and novel marketing techniques is great. This study aims to examine associations between self-reported exposure to ultra-processed food (UPF) ad on social media and eating behavior.