High junk food intake compromises performance at school, but manufacturers have embarked on adverting and marketing blitzkrieg to maintain a stranglehold on young and developing brains as they seek to expand and retain a niche market, researchers say.

Consuming junk food has also been associated with poor performance at school – children who eat more fast-food progress slower academically, with lower test score gains in children who ate the most fast-food compared to those who ate none.

It is not therefore surprising that the majority of food and drink ads found near schools and school routes are of unhealthy products, says a new report published by Australian website Obesity Evidence Hub.

It says further that manufacturers use carefully orchestrated flavours, textures and aromas to make them as appealing as possible – a stark contrast to whole foods whose taste and consistency are made by nature and designed to satiate hunger and address your nutritional cravings.

What’s more, junk food is aggressively marketed to children, with manufacturers using various persuasive techniques to pique your child’s interest.

When researchers conducted a systematic review of eight online databases, they found the most reported marketing techniques used to promote these foods to children on television. These included:

Premium offers, promotional characters, nutrition and health-related claims, the theme of taste and the emotional appeal of fun.

A review of studies published by the Australian website Obesity Evidence Hub further illustrates the pervasive nature of junk food marketing. According to the studies they referenced:

• Young children watch at least 11 junk food ads for every 2.5 hours of TV per day
• Adolescents encounter 99.5 junk food promotions from online platforms weekly
• The majority of food and drink ads found near schools and school routes are of unhealthy products
• There’s a higher proportion of junk food ads in lower socioeconomic areas.

Unfortunately, these manipulative marketing tactics are effective. A 2016 study published in the Obesity Reviews journal found that intake of junk foods increases after exposure to junk food ads.

According to the researchers: “The evidence indicates that unhealthy food and beverage marketing increases dietary intake (moderate quality evidence) and preference (moderate to low quality evidence) for energy-dense, low-nutrition food and beverage.

“Unhealthy food and beverage marketing increased dietary intake and influenced dietary preference in children during or shortly after exposure to advertisements.”

At any age, consuming a junk food diet can put your health at risk, but as the studies mentioned above demonstrate, children are particularly vulnerable due to their developing brain and body.

Childhood obesity is one of the most common effects of a junk food diet. From 2017 to 2020, 19.7 per cent of children and teens 2- to 19-year-olds in the US were considered obese – that’s approximately 14.7 million US adolescents and children.

This is alarming, as childhood obesity can increase the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

Another study also found that eating fast food three or more times per week can increase your child’s risk of inflammatory conditions like eczema, rhinitis and severe asthma.

Speaking of schools – did you know that US school canteens are now serving Kraft’s Lunchables?

Two versions of these ultra-processed “meals” – Turkey and Cheddar and Extra Cheesy Pizza – were introduced to schools at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. Students can either purchase them or get them via the National School Lunch Programme (NSLP).

With nearly 30 million children in public and private schools and childcare institutions getting their lunch from NSLP daily, this rollout can spell disaster for children’s health. Ultra-processed foods are among the worst things you can eat, and children in particular may have their future health sabotaged by consuming them, research says.

According to a Washington Post article: “Kraft Heinz said the company spent nearly two years reformulating its store-bought Turkey and Cheddar Cracker Stacker Lunchables to meet USDA [US Department of Agriculture] Food and Nutrition Service standards – lowering the amount of saturated fat, increasing the protein and adding whole grains to its crackers.

“But the school version contains roughly 25 per cent more sodium than the store version, according to Kraft Heinz’s nutritional data.

“‘It is too easy for food manufacturers to reformulate sugar, salt and fat to meet standards for those nutrients and still produce a junk food,’ said Marion Nestle, a retired professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University.”

In April, the advocacy group Consumer Reports rolled out a petition urging the USDA to remove Lunchables from the NSLP. According to a National Public Radio article, this action came after they conducted an independent analysis of ultra-processed meal kits and found high amounts of sodium and elevated levels of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and phthalates.

Their petition reads: “Even in small amounts, lead and cadmium can cause developmental problems in children, with risks increasing from regular exposure over time. And eating too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure: about 14 per cent of children and teens have prehypertension or hypertension.

“Please take the necessary steps to ensure these processed food kits aren’t eligible for the lunch programme and offer our children healthier choices.”

As I mentioned, good eating habits start at home. Encouraging an open discussion about healthy food choices is a key factor in preventing your children from being manipulated by sly food manufacturers whose primary goal is to make money – they couldn’t care less about the health of your family.

If you have younger children, try to get them involved in meal planning, shopping for healthy foods and cooking. You can even plant a vegetable garden together. Ultimately, when kids are young, you’re the best role model for a healthy diet, so choose to eat real foods and your kids will follow suit.

Older children and teenagers may be more of a challenge. However, telling them that they are being manipulated is often effective.

No one likes to be deceived, even in adolescence. Enlightening them about the profit-driven motives behind junk food ads may be enough to help trigger a newfound desire for healthier eating.

Research conducted by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business found that when eighth graders were given materials that explained the manipulative practices and deceptive product labels used by food manufacturing companies, they ended up eating less junk food and choosing water instead of soda.

They also ended up choosing healthier foods for the remainder of that school year.

“These findings suggest that reframing unhealthy dietary choices as incompatible with important values could be a low-cost, scalable solution to producing lasting, internalized change in adolescents’ dietary attitudes and choices,” the researchers explained.

• A Tell / The Defender report / By Joseph Mercola