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Abstract

Childhood obesity and related health problems are affecting millions of children worldwide. Recent studies indicate that food/beverage TV commercials are one of the contributing factors of rising obesity rates. In the States, where the obesity rate is high, there has been a public outcry for more stringent rules regulating food related TV ads. This study investigates breakfast cereal ads which were derived from more than 1600 hours of television programming. Cereal ads were selected for this investigation particularly because they have to include an image of healthy, balanced breakfast. The results of analysis shows that these so-called healthy images of breakfast have little or no impact in terms of preventing childhood obesity since these images portray a very calorie-rich breakfast. One of the aims of this study to point out the great responsibility of the early childhood teachers in terms of assisting parents' and children's understanding of the commercial intent.

Keywords

• childhood obesity, food advertisements, media literacy

A Content Analysis on the Nutritional Portrait of the Breakfast Cereal Television Advertisements

Abstract

Çocukluk obezitesi gelişmiş ve gelişmekte olan ülkelerde yaşayan milyonlarca çocuğu etkilemeye devam etmektedir. Araştırmalar, obeziteye temel oluşturan faktörlerden birinin televizyonda yayınlanan çocuklara yönelik yiyecek/içecek reklamları olduğunu göstermiştir. Özellikle Amerika Birleşik Devletleri gibi çocukluk obesitesinin yaygın olduğu ülkelerde, toplum baskısının sonucu olarak çocuklara yönelik yiyecek reklamlarının düzenlenmesi gündeme gelmiştir. Bu araştırmada Birleşik Devletler televizyonlarında yayınlanan 1600 saatten fazla program içeriğinden ayıklanan mısır gevreği reklamlarının çocuklara sunduğu yiyecek maddelerinin besin değerleri analiz edilmiştir. Mısır gevreği reklamlarının seçilmesinin sebebi bu reklamların içeriklerinde sağlıklı ve dengeli bir sabah kahvaltısını göstermek zorunda olmalarıdır. Sonuçlar bu reklamlarda görülen sağlıklı kahvaltıların kalori değerlerinin olması gerekenden çok yüksek olduklarını göstermiştir. Bulgular çocuklara yönelik yiyecek içecek reklamlarının içeriklerinde yer alan sözde sağlıklı imajların çocuk obezitesinin önlenmesine katkısının olmadığına işaret etmektedir. Araştırmanın bir amacı da çocukluk obezitesinin önlenmesi konusunda okul öncesi öğretmenlerine televizyon reklamlarının içeriklerinin aileler ve çocuklar tarafından anlaşılması konusunda düşen büyük sorumluluğa dikkat çekmektir.

Keywords

• Çocukluk obezitesi, yiyecek reklamları, medya okur-yazarlığı.

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