Beverage industry TV advertising shifts after a stepwise mandatory food marketing restriction: achievements and challenges with regulating the food marketing environment.

OBJECTIVE: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are heavily advertised globally, and SSB consumption is linked to increased health risk. To reduce unhealthy food marketing, Chile implemented a regulation for products classified as high in energies, sugar, saturated fat or sodium, starting with a 2016 ban on child-targeted advertising of these products and adding a 06.00-22.00 daytime advertising ban in 2019. This study assesses changes in television advertising prevalence of ready-to-drink beverages, including and beyond SSB, to analyse how the beverage industry shifted its marketing strategies across Chile's implementation phases. DESIGN: Beverage advertisements were recorded during two randomly constructed weeks in April-May of 2016 (pre-implementation) through 2019 (daytime ban). Ad products were classified as 'high-in' or 'non-high-in' according to regulation nutrient thresholds. Ads were analysed for their programme placement and marketing content. SETTING: Chile. RESULTS: From pre-regulation to daytime ban, child-targeted, daytime and total ads decreased by 51·8 percentage points (p.p.), 51·5 p.p. and 61·8 p.p. for high-in products and increased by 62·9 p.p., 54·9 p.p. and 61·8 p.p. for non-high-in products (Ps < 0·001). Additionally, total ready-to-drink beverage ads increased by 5·4 p.p. and brand-only ads (no product shown) by 7 p.p. CONCLUSIONS: After the regulation implementation, 'high-in' ads fell significantly, but 'non-high-in' ads rose and continued using strategies targeting children and being aired during daytime. Given research showing that advertising one product can increase preferences for a different product from that same brand and product categories, broader food marketing regulation approaches may be needed to protect children from the harmful effects of food marketing.

Restricting child-directed ads is effective, but adding a time-based ban is better: evaluating a multi-phase regulation to protect children from unhealthy food marketing on television.

BACKGROUND: As childhood obesity rates continue to rise, health organizations have called for regulations that protect children from exposure to unhealthy food marketing. In this study, we evaluate the impact of child-based versus time-based restrictions of "high-in" food and beverage advertising in Chile, which first restricted the placement of "high-in" advertisements (ads) in television attracting children and the use of child-directed content in high-in ads and, second, banned high-in ads from 6am-10pm. "High-in" refers to products above regulation-defined thresholds in energy, saturated fats, sugars, and/or sodium. High-in advertising prevalence and children's exposure to high-in advertising are assessed. METHODS: We analyzed a random stratified sample of advertising from two constructed weeks of television at pre-regulation (2016), after Phase 1 child-based advertising restrictions (2017, 2018), and after the Phase 2 addition of a 6am-10pm high-in advertising ban (2019). High-in ad prevalence in post-regulation years were compared to prior years to assess changes in prevalence. We also analyzed television ratings data for the 4-12 year-old child audience to estimate children's ad exposure. RESULTS: Compared to pre-regulation, high-in ads decreased after Phase 1 (2017) by 42% across television (41% between 6am-10pm, 44% from 10pm-12am) and 29% in programs attracting children (P < 0.01). High-in ads further decreased after Phase 2, reaching a 64% drop from pre-regulation across television (66% between 6am-10pm, 56% from 10pm-12am) and a 77% drop in programs attracting children (P < 0.01). High-in ads with child-directed ad content also dropped across television in Phase 1 (by 41%) and Phase 2 (by 67%), compared to pre-regulation (P < 0.01). Except for high-in ads from 10pm-12am, decreases in high-in ads between Phase 1 (2018) and Phase 2 were significant (P < 0.01). Children's high-in ad exposure decreased by 57% after Phase 1 and by 73% after Phase 2 (P < 0.001), compared to pre-regulation. CONCLUSIONS: Chile's regulation most effectively reduced children's exposure to unhealthy food marketing with combined child-based and time-based restrictions. Challenges remain with compliance and limits in the regulation, as high-in ads were not eliminated from television. Yet, having a 6am-10pm ban is clearly critical for maximizing the design and implementation of policies that protect children from unhealthy food marketing.

Impact of warning labels on reducing health halo effects of nutrient content claims on breakfast cereal packages: A mixed-measures experiment.

Chile recently implemented a food labeling law that requires packaged foods with sugar, saturated fats, sodium, and/or calorie content that exceeds government-defined thresholds to carry a front-of-package warning for each excessive nutrient. This law does not prohibit the use of nutrient content (NC) marketing claims on packages, as long as the claims do not directly contradict the warnings. Yet, having NC claims alongside nutrient warnings might send mixed messages confusing consumers about the overall healthiness of a product. The present study tests the co-occurrence of warning labels and NC claims in breakfast cereal packages on product perceptions and behavioral intentions of Chilean adults in a 3 (warnings: none, high calorie, high calorie/high sugar) × 3 (NC claims: none, fiber/wholegrain, low fat/cholesterol-free) mixed-measures experiment. Fiber-related claims had a main effect leading to more positive ratings of the product, compared to having no NC claims or fat-related claims. These positive ratings extended beyond perceptions of the fiber content to perceptions of overall healthiness, naturalness, quality, vitamin content, and intentions to purchase and recommend the product-a health halo effect. No significant interaction between warnings and NC claims was found. However, warnings had a main effect on perceptions irrespective of the presence of NC claims, with one warning significantly reducing ratings, dampening any halo effects, and two warnings further dampening any effects. These findings indicate that warning labels can mitigate, but not eliminate the influences of NC claims on consumer perceptions of product healthiness.

Prevalence of Child-Directed Marketing on Breakfast Cereal Packages before and after Chile's Food Marketing Law: A Pre- and Post-Quantitative Content Analysis.

Food marketing has been identified as a contributing factor in childhood obesity, prompting global health organizations to recommend restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children. Chile has responded to this recommendation with a restriction on child-directed marketing for products that exceed certain regulation-defined thresholds in sugars, saturated fats, sodium, or calories. Child-directed strategies are allowed for products that do not exceed these thresholds. To evaluate changes in marketing due to this restriction, we examined differences in the use of child-directed strategies on breakfast cereal packages that exceeded the defined thresholds vs. those that did not exceed the thresholds before (n = 168) and after (n = 153) the restriction was implemented. Photographs of cereal packages were taken from top supermarket chains in Santiago. Photographed cereals were classified as "high-in" if they exceeded any nutrient threshold described in the regulation. We found that the percentage of all cereal packages using child-directed strategies before implementation (36%) was significantly lower after implementation (21%), p < 0.05. This overall decrease is due to the decrease we found in the percentage of "high-in" cereals using child-directed strategies after implementation (43% before implementation, 15% after implementation), p < 0.05. In contrast, a greater percentage of packages that did not qualify as "high-in" used child-directed strategies after implementation (30%) compared with before implementation (8%), p < 0.05. The results suggest that the Chilean food marketing regulation can be effective at reducing the use of child-directed marketing for unhealthy food products.

Prevalence of child-directed and general audience marketing strategies on the front of beverage packaging: the case of Chile.

OBJECTIVE: Front-of-package (FOP) marketing strategies of a wide variety of beverages were catalogued to examine the prevalence of each strategy prior to a sweeping Chilean restriction of child-directed marketing aimed at reducing obesity-related disease among Chile's youth. DESIGN: Photographs of 1005 beverage packages were quantitatively content-analysed to code whether a variety of child-directed, health-oriented and other marketing strategies (e.g. sales promotions) were present on each product's FOP. Strategies were then analysed based on beverages' product category, total sugar, energy and tax status (beverages with added sugars are taxed at different rates). SETTING: Photographs were taken in six urban supermarkets in Santiago, Chile, representing five different supermarket chains. RESULTS: Beverages using child-directed characters or nature/fruit references were higher in total sugar and beverages with child-directed characters or childhood/family references were higher in energy than beverages without these respective strategies. Of the beverages taxed at the highest rate (greatest amount of added sugars), 49 % used nutrition and health appeals and 80 % used nature or fruit appeals. Plain waters and plain milks were less likely than other selected product categories to use health-oriented appeals or multiple FOP strategies in combination. CONCLUSIONS: FOP marketing on beverages varied according to the nutritional quality of the product, with heavier use of health-oriented and child-directed strategies in less healthy products. Marketing activities warrant continued observation to evaluate how industry responds to new marketing restrictions as these restrictions are evaluated in the light of existing taxes and other regulatory efforts to improve diets and reduce obesity-related disease.

[DESIGN AND VALIDATION OF AN IMAGE FOR DISSEMINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF CHILEAN DIETARY GUIDELINES]. / DISEÑO Y VALIDACIÓN DE LA IMAGEN PARA LA DIFUSIÓN E IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE LAS GUÍAS ALIMENTARIAS PARA LA POBLACIÓN CHILENA.

INTRODUCTION: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) are usually accompanied by an image for dissemination and implementation. OBJECTIVE: to design and validate an image to represent the variety and proportions of the new Chilean dietary guidelines, include foods high in critical nutrients that should be avoided and physical activity guidelines. METHOD: a panel of experts tested seven graphics and selected three that were validated with 12 focus groups of people aged 10-14 and 20-40 years, of both sexes, from different socioeconomic groups and from both rural and urban areas. We analyzed the perception of variety and proportions of the food groups for daily intake and motivation for action in diet and physical activity. We utilized the METAPLAN method used previously in the validation of FBDG. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: the final image was a circle that showed the variety and proportions of each food group for daily consumption (in pictures), included physical activity guidelines in a strip around the middle of the circle and a rectangle towards of bottom of the image with examples of foods high in critical nutrients in black and white. The chosen picture was modified using input from participants and validated with three additional focus groups, improving its understanding and acceptance. CONCLUSION: most participants understood that the image represented the relationship between healthy eating and daily physical activity, correctly identifying the food groups for which increased intake was suggested and those groups in which intake should be reduced or avoided.

Introducción: las Guías Alimentarias Basadas en Alimentos (GABA) generalmente van acompañadas de una imagen para su difusión e implementación. Objetivo: diseñar y validar una imagen que represente la variedad y proporcionalidad de las nuevas guías alimentarias para la población chilena, incluyendo los alimentos altos en nutrientes críticos que es necesario evitar y la actividad física. Método: un panel de expertos analizó siete propuestas gráficas y seleccionó tres que fueron validadas con 12 grupos focales de personas de 10-14 y 20-40 años, distinto sexo, nivel socioeconómico y sector urbano/rural. Se analizó la percepción de la variedad y proporcionalidad de los grupos de alimentos a comer diariamente y la motivación a la acción en alimentación y actividad física. Se trabajó con METAPLÁN, método ya utilizado en la validación de las GABA. Resultados y discusión: la imagen definitiva es un círculo que presenta la variedad y proporcionalidad de los grupos de alimentos a consumir durante el día (en fotografías), incluye la actividad física en una franja que rodea la mitad del círculo y un rectángulo inferior con ejemplos de alimentos altos en nutrientes críticos en blanco y negro. La imagen elegida fue modificada con las aportaciones de los participantes y validada con tres nuevos grupos focales, mejorando su comprensión y aceptación. Conclusión: la mayoría de los participantes comprendió que la imagen representaba la relación entre la alimentación saludable y la actividad física diaria, identificando los grupos de alimentos de los que se sugiere comer más y de los que se necesita reducir o evitar su consumo.

Diseño y validación de la imagen para la difusión e implementación de las guías alimentarias para la población chilena / Design and validation of an image for dissemination and implementation of Chilean dietary guidelines

Introducción: las Guías Alimentarias Basadas en Alimentos (GABA) generalmente van acompañadas de una imagen para su difusión e implementación. Objetivo: diseñar y validar una imagen que represente la variedad y proporcionalidad de las nuevas guías alimentarias para la población chilena, incluyendo los alimentos altos en nutrientes críticos que es necesario evitar y la actividad física. Método: un panel de expertos analizó siete propuestas gráficas y seleccionó tres que fueron validadas con 12 grupos focales de personas de 10-14 y 20-40 años, distinto sexo, nivel socioeconómico y sector urbano/rural. Se analizó la percepción de la variedad y proporcionalidad de los grupos de alimentos a comer diariamente y la motivación a la acción en alimentación y actividad física. Se trabajó con METAPLÁN, método ya utilizado en la validación de las GABA. Resultados y discusión: la imagen definitiva es un círculo que presenta la variedad y proporcionalidad de los grupos de alimentos a consumir durante el día (en fotografías), incluye la actividad física en una franja que rodea la mitad del círculo y un rectángulo inferior con ejemplos de alimentos altos en nutrientes críticos en blanco y negro. La imagen elegida fue modificada con las aportaciones de los participantes y validada con tres nuevos grupos focales, mejorando su comprensión y aceptación. Conclusión: la mayoría de los participantes comprendió que la imagen representaba la relación entre la alimentación saludable y la actividad física diaria, identificando los grupos de alimentos de los que se sugiere comer más y de los que se necesita reducir o evitar su consumo (AU)

Introduction: Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDG) are usually accompanied by an image for dissemination and implementation. Objective: to design and validate an image to represent the variety and proportions of the new Chilean dietary guidelines, include foods high in critical nutrients that should be avoided and physical activity guidelines. Method: a panel of experts tested seven graphics and selected three that were validated with 12 focus groups of people aged 10-14 and 20-40 years, of both sexes, from different socioeconomic groups and from both rural and urban areas. We analyzed the perception of variety and proportions of the food groups for daily intake and motivation for action in diet and physical activity. We utilized the METAPLAN method used previously in the validation of FBDG. Results and discussion: the final image was a circle that showed the variety and proportions of each food group for daily consumption (in pictures), included physical activity guidelines in a strip around the middle of the circle and a rectangle towards of bottom of the image with examples of foods high in critical nutrients in black and white. The chosen picture was modified using input from participants and validated with three additional focus groups, improving its understanding and acceptance. Conclusion: most participants understood that the image represented the relationship between healthy eating and daily physical activity, correctly identifying the food groups for which increased intake was suggested and those groups in which intake should be reduced or avoided (AU)

Insatisfacción corporal, creencias sobre control del peso y consumo de cigarrillos en jóvenes / Body dissatisfaction, beliefs about weight control, and cigarette use among youth

En diversos estudios los investigadores han encontrado una relación entre insatisfacción corporal, creencias de control de peso asociadas al consumo de cigarrillos y el consumo de cigarrillos en jóvenes. Este estudio evaluó un modelo de mediación de las creencias de control de peso asociadas al consumo de cigarrillos en la relación entre insatisfacción corporal y consumo de cigarrillos. Se realizó un estudio correlacional con 651 jóvenes chilenos de entre 12 y 23 años de edad. Se realizaron ANOVA y análisis de regresión lineal para evaluar las hipótesis propuestas. Se encontró una relación entre insatisfacción corporal y consumo de cigarrillos y diferencias significativas en dicha relación según sexo. Los resultados obtenidos confirman la relación entre insatisfacción corporal y consumo de cigarrillos en jóvenes chilenos, sin embargo, no se comprueba la mediación propuesta.

In several studies, researchers have found a link between body dissatisfaction, weight control beliefs associated with cigarette use and cigarette smoking among young people. This study examined a mediation model of weight control beliefs associated with cigarette use for the relationship between body dissatisfaction and cigarette smoking. A correlational study was conducted with 651 young chileans between 12 and 23 years of age. ANOVA and linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the proposed hypotheses. A relationship between body dissatisfaction and smoking and significant differences by sex for this relationship were found. These results confirm the relationship between body dissatisfaction and cigarette smoking among young Chileans, however, do not support the proposed mediation.

Predictores del consumo de tabaco en jóvenes chilenos: inicio y mantenimiento / Predictors of consumption in Chilean adolescents tobacco: initiation and maintenance

El consumo de cigarrillos en adolescentes es un importante problema de salud en Chile, sin embargo poco se sabe sobre los determinantes en esta población. En este estudio se examinaron los predictores de diferentes niveles de consumo de cigarrillos en adolescentes chilenos usando la base de datos de la Encuesta Mundial de Tabaquismo Juvenil que incluyó a 8.258 adolescentes. Los resultados muestran que las creencias sobre el atractivo físico de los fumadores, la influencia de los amigos y la facilidad de acceso a los cigarrillos, predicen todos los niveles de consumo. Se encontraron diferencias en la influencia de las creencias sobre los efectos de los cigarrillos en la salud, la influencia de amistades que fuman y de la familia dependiendo de cómo se evalúa consumo de cigarrillos. Estos resultados sugieren que los predictores de consumo en adolescentes difieren dependiendo del nivel de consumo y por lo tanto para comprender en cabalidad este problema es necesario evaluar los distintos niveles de consumo.

Cigarette use is a major health problem among adolescents in Chile, but little is known about the determinants of use in this population. In this study, the predictors of different levels of cigarette smoking in Chilean adolescents were, examined using data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey which included 8.258 adolescents. The findings suggest that beliefs about physical attractiveness of smokers, the influence of friends and the easy access to cigarettes, predict all levels of consumption. Differences were found differences in the influence of beliefs about health effects, friends who smoke and family influences depending on how smoking is assessed. These results suggest that predictors of cigarette use among adolescents differ depending on the level of use and therefore to further understanding of this problem, it is necessary to examine the different levels of use.