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Hold the Applause for the Disney Company on Marketing Food to Children

By Jamila Iris Edwards, MPP
Prevention Institute

On October 17, 2006, the Disney Company proudly announced that it would no longer allow the use of its name and characters on kid-focused food items that do not meet their nutritional standards. The new standards will limit the amount of sugar, fat, and calories in the foods marketed by Disney with the exception of “special occasion” sweets, which are expected to be reduced to 15 percent of their product line by 2010. Additionally, Disney will change the food sold at theme parks by providing healthier side dishes (e.g., carrots and applesauce) and beverages (e.g. milk and 100 percent juice,) as the default option in kids’ meals and eliminating trans fats.

The New York Times published an article, Disney Says It Will Link Marketing to Nutrition, describing Disney’s plans and subsequently published Prevention Institute’s response on October 23rd. The letter urged the applause not to crescendo too loud. The moves by Disney are positive steps toward responsible corporate practices and creating healthier eating environments. However, it is important that as public health organizations we celebrate Disney’s steps only while simultaneously recognizing the motives of a corporation that profits from children. Prevention Institute – and all of us who consider children’s health as more than an issue of entertainment – needs to ask ourselves: “Should a toy and entertainment company be influencing what kids eat?” We should not let Disney think that their actions are more than adequate. If companies, such as Disney, continue to receive praise for reducing their negative influence, we as advocates for children need to challenge them make more significant strides in improving the health and wellbeing of children.

When looking at Disney’s actions more closely, two main issues arise. First, the nutrition standards need to be stronger. While the standards screen out the unhealthiest processed foods, Disney makes no commitment to promote fruits, vegetables, or other fresh foods that should be the bulk of children’s diets. Although the continued licensing of “special occasion” sweets is to be reduced to 15 percent of their product line by 2010, this 15 percent of their licensing agreement could potentially be far more than 15 percent of the total sales. For example, if they link some cute new movie or cartoon character with “special occasion” sweets, their sales of these garishly unhealthy products may far exceed 15 percent.

Additionally, although Disney has committed to revamping their own marketing tactics, they continue to promote the irresponsible actions of other companies through their various television channels. There were no restrictions announced for the marketing of junk food on Disney’s television networks, which include Toon Disney and ABC Kids.

Children and youth are exposed on a daily basis to an onslaught of marketing and advertisements, mostly targeting unhealthy foods. At home, children view an estimated 20,000-40,000 commercials each year, with most of these ads advertising fatty, sugar laden or fast foods. Not even schools are safe from the influence of marketers; nearly half of school districts nationwide have soft drink contracts with soda companies that often require a certain number of vending machines, a minimum volume of sales, and/or in-school advertising.

Prevention Institute believes that marketing foods to children interferes with parents’ ability to appropriately influence children’s food choices. As a corporation that almost exclusively profits from children and families, it is important that Disney and similar companies are held to the highest standards and the strictest scrutiny when it comes to children’s health.

Government and policymakers have an important role to play in preventing the influence of marketing on children’s food choices. Disney’s moves are an example of the problems of allowing industry to regulate itself. When it comes to marketing foods, corporations are likely motivated by other benefits than the health of children, yet their actions may directly affect children’s health. Therefore, government must step in and ensure that children are not targeted by companies.

On a local level, there has been some progress made, particularly in schools. In several schools across the country, school boards have created “commercial free” zones where companies are prohibited from advertising. In June 1999, San Francisco became the largest school district yet to approve policies on commercialism in schools. Their policy requires all long-term corporate sponsorships to be approved by the Board of Education. It also prohibits teachers from using corporate sponsored educational materials, including Channel One and ZapMe and forbids San Francisco from entering into a district-wide exclusive contract with a soda or snack food company.

Policymakers should support the establishment and enforcement of “commercial free” zones in schools so that children are not targeted and should consider prohibiting advertising in state-funded institutions and agencies that involve children.

As sentiment against the negative impact of marketing to kids grows, it makes sense to build on these local regulations with a statewide policy. This is an obvious next step to SB 965 and SB 12, both passed in 2005, which remove the worst junk foods and beverages in our schools. Schools should be model environments that reinforce the health messages in the classroom. Freeing children from the bombardment of commercial messages currently reaching them during the school would be an important step in promoting healthier norms among children and families.

Jamila Iris Edwards is a program manager at the Prevention Institute. She received her Masters in Public Policy with an emphasis on social welfare and urban poverty from the School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The Prevention Institute is a non-profit national center dedicated to improving community health and well-being by building momentum for effective primary prevention. Primary prevention means taking action to build resilience and to prevent problems before they occur. The Institute's work is characterized by a strong commitment to community participation and promotion of equitable health outcomes among all social and economic groups. Since its founding in 1997, the organization has focused on injury and violence prevention, traffic safety, health disparities, nutrition and physical activity, and youth development.

Posted on December 08, 2006

Comments

This is an extremely important issue, or maybe crisis is a better word to use, that is facing this "great" nation. In addition to us "holding the applause for Disney" we also need to hold the applause for school districts. As the author noted a few districts around the state have instituted "commercial free" zones, however, schools are, at times, the worst offenders when it comes to feeding our children nutritious meals. I was appalled when a school official from my son's school district told me that they allow the student's to choose what foods they are going to eat because they believe that it helps the children make decisions. We have 45 years in this country who are unable to make sound decisions, so how is it that they expect for a 5 or 6 year old to make a healthy food choice, especially when her/his parents are not around? Psychologists will tell you that young children are not always able to make appropriate decisions when it comes to such issues, so why would we tease them with tempting mouth watering foods like donuts? The unconscious and high-pressure marketing tactics used by unscrupulous corporations like Disney is reprehensible and makes me want to vomit. The article raises critical questions about the value we place in the children of this "great" nation…Yes, let's "hold the applause for Disney" & school districts alike.

Posted by: lisa at December 8, 2006 11:22 AM

This is an extremely important issue, or maybe crisis is a better word to use, that is facing this "great" nation. In addition to us "holding the applause for Disney" we also need to hold the applause for school districts. As the author noted a few districts around the state have instituted "commercial free" zones, however, schools are, at times, the worst offenders when it comes to feeding our children nutritious meals. I was appalled when a school official from my son's school district told me that they allow the student's to choose what foods they are going to eat because they believe that it helps the children make decisions. We have 45 years in this country who are unable to make sound decisions, so how is it that they expect for a 5 or 6 year old to make a healthy food choice, especially when her/his parents are not around? Psychologists will tell you that young children are not always able to make appropriate decisions when it comes to such issues, so why would we tease them with tempting mouth watering foods like donuts? The unconscious and high-pressure marketing tactics used by unscrupulous corporations like Disney is reprehensible and makes me want to vomit. The article raises critical questions about the value we place in the children of this "great" nation…Yes, let's "hold the applause for Disney" & school districts alike.

Posted by: lisa at December 8, 2006 11:23 AM

This is an extremely important issue, or maybe crisis is a better word to use, that is facing this "great" nation. In addition to us "holding the applause for Disney" we also need to hold the applause for school districts. As the author noted a few districts around the state have instituted "commercial free" zones, however, schools are, at times, the worst offenders when it comes to feeding our children nutritious meals. I was appalled when a school official from my son's school district told me that they allow the student's to choose what foods they are going to eat because they believe that it helps the children make decisions. We have 45 years in this country who are unable to make sound decisions, so how is it that they expect for a 5 or 6 year old to make a healthy food choice, especially when her/his parents are not around? Psychologists will tell you that young children are not always able to make appropriate decisions when it comes to such issues, so why would we tease them with tempting mouth watering foods like donuts? The unconscious and high-pressure marketing tactics used by unscrupulous corporations like Disney is reprehensible and makes me want to vomit. The article raises critical questions about the value we place in the children of this "great" nation…Yes, let's "hold the applause for Disney" & school districts alike.

Posted by: lisa at December 8, 2006 11:23 AM

Jamila,
I thought you might find these resource helpful. I saw this article, pasted below, on one of my listservs and thought of you. Keep up the good work!

MY FAVOURITE TIPPLES
By Joanna Ptolomey

I have been lucky enough to be involved in projects assessing the
quality and availability of multilingual health resources over the
last few years. Here are a few of my favourite starting-off points.

* You can't go wrong starting at HARP (The Health for Asylum Seekers
and Refugees Portal) . It is one of the
best UK portals especially for mental health.

* I love the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service
where you can search resources
by language or topic. The resources are of a high quality and are
updated regularly.

* Multikulti has a great selection of
resources that covers health inequalities issues such as housing,
education, debt, employment, immigration and racism.

* The voluntary and charity sector provides access to a plethora of
good-quality multilingual health resources. I use Patient UK
as a portal to identify organisations
for specific clinical conditions.

* The 24 Languages Project
is a good worldwide portal and has a great selection of links,
including access to more than 200 health-education brochures in 24
different languages.

Posted by: Linda Odelson at January 20, 2007 09:46 AM

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Hold the Applause for the Disney Company on Marketing Food to Children

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