MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit

Young people speak out about junk food marketing in a new report and video by the Scottish Obesity Alliance and the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit (SPHSU). Young people report seeing unhealthy food adverts everyday and being influenced by them. They would like to see unhealthy food advertising reduced and healthy food advertising increased.

The video, voiced by young people living in Glasgow, is the result of a series of workshops and focus groups aimed at understanding the experiences of young people in Scotland with food marketing. The video, co-produced with the young people to capture their authentic voices, features direct quotes and opinions from this project. In fact, the title of the video, “Adverts, Adverts, Everywhere,” is a direct quote from one of the workshops.

The work of the young people and the findings of the workshop are published in a research report jointly authored by the Scottish Obesity Alliance and University of Glasgow. This work was funded by Cancer Research UK.

Professor Shona Hilton, Chair of Scottish Obesity Alliance and Deputy Director of the SPHSU, said: “In our study, young people reported seeing unhealthy food marketing every day and in a wide range of times throughout the day, including when watching TV or browsing social media, walking to or from school or around town, or waiting for a bus. Many young people reported being personally influenced by marketing techniques and other pressures, such as social media influencers and promotions, brightly coloured and attention-catching adverts, and food company branding.

"The young people themselves recognised that it was mainly unhealthy foods and brands and they supported action to change this. I hope that this work will help policy makers and politicians understand how marketing influences young people and that taking action could help protect them from unhealthy commodities.”

Lorraine Tulloch, Programme Lead, Obesity Action Scotland (member and host of the Scottish Obesity Alliance) said: “The experiences and opinions of our young people are powerful. I am delighted that this report gives them a voice in the debate on marketing and advertising of unhealthy foods. Politicians and policy makers should listen carefully and introduce the laws necessary to ensure children are able to access the healthiest options easily.”

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First published: 14 February 2024