EP 241 Junk Food Ads Target Black and Hispanic Kids

 Black and Hispanic children see TV ads for sugary drinks, unhealthy snacks, and fast foods far more than anything else and it’s no accident.  They are targeted by the food companies that know the addictive qualities of their ‘food products’. According to the latest study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, 86 percent of the ads on black targeted TV programs and 82 percent of the Spanish language programs were promoting these unhealthful offerings.  Jennifer Harris, of the Rudd Center, joins us to discuss the findings and to explain how this could be so when many of us have read about companies agreeing voluntarily to limit or eliminate such advertising. We are reminded that obesity and diabetes are rampant among these communities and many of our eating habits are formed at an early age. Take a listen and read the report.

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