AAP Sounds Alarm On Advertising's Effects on Children

With children viewing an estimated 40,000 ads a year, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is alarmed that such exposure may contribute significantly to obesity, poor nutrition, cigarette and alcohol use.

In a revised policy statement, "Children, Adolescents, and Advertising," the AAP outlines several recommendations to help mitigate advertising's harmful effects, but says one simple solution would be to have children and adolescents become critical media viewers, also known as being media literate.

Several European countries forbid or severely curtail advertising to children, the statement says. In the U.S., however, selling to children is "business as usual."

Among the recommendations: ads for erectile dysfunction (ED) be confined to after 10 pm.

According to the statement, there is considerable evidence that birth control advertising could lower teen pregnancy rates even further without affecting teen sexual activity. However, when birth control advertising is rare on prime time TV, it makes no sense to allow ED drug ads that may confuse children and teens about human sexuality and make sexual activity seem like a recreational sport, the AAP says.

The statement also says that advertisers are seeking to find new and creative ways of targeting young consumers via the Internet, in schools, and even in bathroom stalls. "Advertisers have slowly but steadily infiltrated school systems around the country. The "3 Rs" have now become the "4 Rs," with the fourth R being Retail."

The statement recommends that pediatricians work with parents, schools, community groups, and others to ban or severely curtail school-based advertising in all forms. It also recommends that pediatricians only subscribe to magazines that are free of tobacco and alcohol ads for their waiting rooms.

The statement looks at advertising in different media, such as television, movies, print media and the Internet. It also addresses marketing techniques and specific health-related areas of concern, like tobacco, alcohol, drug advertising.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.