Junk Food Ads Targeting Children - Who? Is Upset

Did you know you’re supposed to be 16 to look at junk food ads? That’s right! After pulling ads from TV that promote junkfood, companies like PepsiCo, Nestlé and, the mother of all obesity influences, McDonald’s, took their marketing online, directly targeting children and teens. They’re taking their unhealthy, virtual campaigns to sites like MySpace, YouTube and Bebo.

Since there’s a ban on junk food ads targeting children under 16, websites must ask if they children are of legal viewing age, like liquor sites do.

“In December last year an alliance of food companies including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Mars and Burger King signed an EU pledge to stop marketing junk food to children under 12 years old by the end of this year,” the Guardian explains.

Which? is very upset because it’s incredibly easy for young, impressionable minds to lie about their age online. Since the ban was implemented, a lot of junk food companies are using the web to target youth, including through interactive games.