Study On TV Food Advertising Impact On Urban Pupils Health

With the popularization of mass-media, television, the most favorable among children, impacts and changes the daily life of urban children in China to a great extent. Researches abroad indicate that children who watch TV advertisements eat more snacks than those who don’t watch. Unless they reduce intake of other foods or increase physical exercise, they would have bigger risk of gaining excessive weight, even obesity. Nowadays food advertisements on TV take a big share in the total advertisements broadcasting, it’s hence necessary to analyze in depth the content of TV food advertisements, and find the relationship between the food advertisements and the health by looking at their impact on the health of early school age children in urban areas, Jiangsu province.Utilizing content analysis and questionnaires as main methods of research, this study also brings in theories of communication and psychology in its in-depth analysis of the relationship between advertisements broadcasting and children health index. This study confirms that TV food advertisements have a significant impact on children’s viewing behavior and buying behavior. This impact is negative on children health index that shows body overweight on many children. In order to identify the cause of the negative impact, this study conducted, on one hand, a thorough analysis on the content of TV food advertisements, trying to find out its influence on children by "gatekeepers" and "opinion leaders" around children through advertisements, broadcasting agenda and dissemination strategiesof advertisement. This study shows how advertisements work indirectly on children through people around them. On the other hand, this study, utilizing the results of domestic and international researches in the areas of psychology and communication, explores the process of advertisements influence on children’s consumption psychology and behavior, and discusses the possible effect of this influence.According to the researches, TV food advertisements may be the one of reasons causing children health index changes.This influence may be through large quantity of broadcasting and "pseudo-environment" of the advertisements which may change children’s concept and attitude towards food and then influence children’s self-purchasing behavior. The type and health of TV food advertisements presented a certain imbalance to children audience.Through the high-frequency and longtime broadcasting agenda,TV food advertisement can deepen memory of children in order to achieve the purpose of sales.TV food advertisements also have indirect influence on children through parents and peers who have received messages of advertisements.Since unhealthy foods take a great proportion in the food advertisements, their negative influence on children’s health should not be underestimated. This study also makes some suggestions to advertisers, regulatory agencies, and "gatekeepers"-parents.