Nickelodeon sells a lot of junk food

by Bob Sassone, Posted Jun 12th 2007 @ 1:07PM

SpongeBob I'm not sure if this will surprise a lot of people, but the Center For Science in the Public Interest says that 80% of the ads on Nickelodeon are for junk food.

The organization says that that 80% of ads are for restaurants, foods, and beverages that are advertised not only on the network but also tied into its characters and products. Of course, Nickelodeon doesn't agree with the study, and a spokesman says that 10% of the network's advertising tries to push healthy foods and that they are working with companies to market carrots, nectarines and other fruits and vegetables. I'm not even sure what that means - will be see Nickelodeon Bananas in the produce section next year?

You can read the entire article in the July issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

[via That's Fit]

Filed Under: Magazines, Television/Film, Trends, Health & Medical, Fast Food
Tags: advertising to kids, candy, children, dora the explorer, fast food, junk food, kids, marketing to kids, nick, nickelodeon, spongebob

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

6-12-2007 @2:43PM Harold Hupmobile said... Two years ago, for a class, I had to take note of every ad that was on during and hour of Spongebob. At only an hour of research time, this was hardly a scientific study. Just the same, I found that toys were pushed more than anything else at the time. In fact the average cost of all the toys was somewhere around $51.00.
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6-12-2007 @3:46PM Ryan said... I like the corporate spin :-)

80% is junk food says the study, leaving 20% non-junk. Nick says 10% of their ads push healthy stuff, probably the remaining 10% are non affiliated toys, still leaving 80% being junk food.
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6-13-2007 @12:09AM Brighella said... This is a common occurrence on the Food Channel too. You watch some tv chef make beautiful and complicated topiary food, then get bombarded with Red Lobster and convenience food ads. Kinda schizophrenic IMHO.
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6-13-2007 @12:12AM Crabby McSlacker said... Nickelodeon pushes junk? I'm shocked, just shocked!

So does everyone other tv station and media outlet around. Kids or adults--people like to eat unhealthy crap, so advertisers and grocery stores give them what they want.

If people would stop buying this junk for themselves and their kids, then guess what? Big corporations would stop making it and advertising it.

But I'm not holding my breath.

(Is Crabby always this grouchy and obnoxious? Afraid so. Worse, she never seems to go away. Avoid needless further exposure by staying far, far away from http://crankyfitness.blogspot.com/).

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6-13-2007 @4:29PM SC said... I don't know if there are Nickelodeon bananas yet, but several produce companies sell fresh fruits and vegetables in packages that have Nickelodeon characters on them. You can find apples, clementines, carrots and other produce with SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer or "The Backyardigans" characters.

I'm not a Nickelodeon fan, but if those packages get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, that's a good thing.
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