News Release

March 21, 2006

Contact:

Cynthia Moore Perry Communications Group (916) 658-0144 office (916) 783-6882 cell cynthia@perrycom.com

-or-

Victoria Berends Public Health Institute (916) 552-9894 office (916) 205-9041 cell vberends@comcast.net

Captive Kids Easy Target for
Junk Food Marketers

Survey Finds Food and Beverage Companies
Predominant on School Campuses

SACRAMENTO, CA – Kids are repeatedly exposed to unhealthy product ads and logos on vending machines, signage and posters on school campuses every day, according to a new survey released today by the Public Health Institute (PHI).

The first statewide survey to look at the prevalence of marketing on high school campuses found that 60 percent of food and beverage product posters and signage promote foods and beverages high in sugar, sodium and fat, and low in nutrients.

“Everywhere children go they are bombarded with marketing messages designed to make them lifelong consumers of sugary, fat-laden foods,” said Carmen Nevarez, MD, MPH, medical director and vice president of external relations for Public Health Institute (PHI), the Oakland-based, nonprofit health organization that commissioned the survey. “With youth obesity rates skyrocketing, schools should be a safe haven from this deluge.”

The Food and Beverage Marketing on California High School Campuses Survey, prepared by the research firm Samuels & Associates with underwriting from The California Endowment, found the vast majority of all advertising – posters, vending ads, events, etc. – came from soda, beverage, fast food and junk food companies. Among the findings, nearly 65 percent of vending machine ads and 71 percent of logos displayed on equipment were for soda and other sweetened beverages.

There is strong evidence that marketing of foods and beverages to children influences their preferences, requests, purchases and diets, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine report on food marketing to children. Moreover, the percentage of overweight adolescents has more than tripled since 1980, according to statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Schools are not the appropriate venue for junk food marketing. Getting rid of vending machines that sell sugary soft drinks and unhealthy snacks is a step in the right direction for reducing sugar and fat content,” said Robert K. Ross, MD, president and chief executive officer of The California Endowment. “It is in the best interest of California’s youth that schools promote healthy behaviors and provide opportunities for nutritious foods and physical activity.”

Of the schools surveyed, 45 percent reported a district policy that addressed marketing, but none of these policies explicitly limited or banned marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.

“How are we supposed to promote healthy eating when we are up against a multibillion dollar high-sugar and fat fast food industry marketing to our students right on campus?” Nevarez asked. “State legislation is helping schools to limit the unhealthy foods and beverages they sell, and marketing policies at the school district level should be consistent with these standards – supporting students to make healthier choices,” she said.

“What many people don’t realize is that recent federal law requires every school district in the country to establish local wellness policies by July 2006,” said Victoria Berends, marketing manager of the Public Health Institute. “We believe these wellness policies should include a ban on all marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages at school. The school environment should be fully devoted to teaching healthful, lifelong dietary patterns.”

One model program helping to address the problem is California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity and Nutrition). Working with over 30 California school districts, the program helps district administrators and school boards establish policies that support healthy eating and physical activity.

For more information, including the tool kit “Captive Kids: Selling Obesity at Schools,” log on to the Public Health Institute’s web site at www.phi.org.

About the Survey
The Public Health Institute’s Food and Beverage Marketing on California High School Campuses Survey was conducted by Samuels & Associates with underwriting from The California Endowment. The survey assessed the prevalence of unhealthy food and beverage marketing on 20 high school campuses in 13 counties across California.

About The California Endowment
The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. The Endowment makes grants to organizations and institutions that directly benefit the health and well-being of the people of California. For more information, visit The Endowment’s Web site at www.calendow.org.

Click here to view the press kit.

###

---