publications

BMSG's issue series

The nation needs to do more to address food marketing to children

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

In spite of high childhood obesity rates, food and beverage marketers continue to target youth with increasingly sophisticated ads for foods and drinks high in salt, sugars, and fats. The Institute of Medicine has made strong recommendations for how the food industry and government can reverse the situation, but a new report shows these groups have made little progress. In this commentary, BMSG’s Lori Dorfman and Margo Wootan, of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, call for a national commitment to addressing food marketing to children.

Breaking news on child sexual abuse: Early coverage of Penn State

Monday, January 09, 2012

News coverage of child sexual abuse is typically infrequent compared to how often it actually occurs. But in November 2011, the arrest of Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky on charges of child sexual abuse catapulted the issue into the spotlight and generated an extraordinary volume of coverage. In this report, BMSG examines news coverage generated in the first nine days of the Sandusky case, compares it to our earlier findings about how child sexual abuse is usually covered, and offers suggestions to reporters and advocates based on our observations.

The new age of food marketing: How companies are targeting and luring our kids — and what advocates can do about it

Saturday, October 01, 2011

The explosion of digital culture in recent years has changed how fast food and soda companies market to children and teenagers. Today, powerful and intense promotions are completely, seamlessly integrated into young people’s social relationships and minute-by-minute interactions. This report explores some of marketers’ latest techniques, explains why they should concern public health advocates, and offers resources for taking action.

Talking about: Boosting physical activity and student achievement through quality physical education

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Physical activity is vital to children’s lifelong health and success, yet many children aren’t active enough. In fact, in California, nearly one in three teens is not regularly active. Improving physical education (P.E.) is one important way to help increase opportunities for students to be active. California schools can take steps in this direction by implementing some of the low-cost strategies covered in this brief.

Issue 19: Case by case: News coverage of child sexual abuse

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Child sexual abuse is a tough and sensitive topic to discuss and to write about. In this Issue, we examine how child sexual abuse is portrayed in the news. We ask: How do journalists cover child sexual abuse, especially in the absence of a prominent case? Do sensationalist stories focusing on the “stranger danger” misconception dominate news coverage? Is preventing child sexual abuse discussed? We then use our findings to make specific recommendations for advocates and reporters.

Food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents: An environment at odds with good health

Friday, April 01, 2011

The science is clear: The environments where children grow up, play and go to school affect their diets and health. In this research brief, prepared for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation‘s Healthy Eating Research program, we show how children in the United States grow up in environments saturated by food and beverage marketing, the bulk of it for foods low in nutrients and high in calories, sugars, salt and fat.

Food marketing in the digital age: A conceptual framework and agenda for research [pdf]

Friday, April 01, 2011

Digital techniques are quickly evolving and unprecedentedly immersive. To assess the best ways to understand these new media effects, we convened a group of scholars to develop a conceptual framework for understanding the impact of the digital practices on food and beverage consumption among children and youth and a research agenda to guide future studies of that impact.

Making the case for prevention: Basic messages for health departments

Friday, March 11, 2011

At BMSG, we work to help advocates make the case for systems and structures that will improve health. This document is designed to help health departments better explain their goals and rationale for prevention. It’s a starting point to use for tailoring messages for the media, policy makers and community leaders.

Video: Digital food and beverage marketing to children and adolescents

Tuesday, February 01, 2011

Food and beverage marketing influences what products kids ask for, what they end up consuming and what eating habits they carry with them into adulthood. In this interview, BMSG director Lori Dorfman discusses new tactics this industry uses to target youth online and explains how these strategies are different from more traditional forms of marketing.

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