Bombarded by unhealthy food ads, Black and Hispanic consumers suffer real health consequences

Black and Hispanic consumers are targeted with a disproportionate amount of TV advertisements for sugary drinks, snacks and other high-caloric but low-nutrient items, making them prone to more diet-related diseases such as diabetes, researchers found.

In 2021, candy, as well as sugary drinks, savory snacks, gums, mints and cereals made up 75% of Spanish-language and Black-targeted TV advertisement spending, according to a study from the University of Connecticut's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health. In 2017, that figure was about 50%.

Black youth and adults see between 9% to 21% more food and beverage advertising than their white peers. And on Spanish-language TV, fast-food advertisements increased by 33% from 2017 to 2019, according to a separate report from the Rudd Center.

Neither Spanish-language nor Black-targeted television had advertisements for fruits and vegetables in 2021, the Rudd Center report said.

The study focused on more than a dozen companies with high advertising spending. It used Nielsen data to measure TV ads viewed by Black and Hispanic children, total advertisements and other metrics.

The advertisements often feature rap and youth-oriented themes, according to the recent study. Others try to curry goodwill through collaborations with nonprofits to benefit communities of color.

While marketing to communities of color acknowledges the value of those customers, researchers say, promoting mostly unhealthy foods to Black and Hispanic people is an additional barrier to health equity amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Effect of junk food on society

Social justice movements following George Floyd's death in 2020 led many of these food and beverage companies to make pledges on racial justice and inclusion issues, said Jennifer Harris, senior research advisor at the Rudd Center and lead author of the study. Still, those efforts have not trickled into how those companies advertised, she said.

"They're still advertising their worst products to Black and ... Hispanic consumers and the percentage of products in those worst categories, like candy, sugary drinks, snacks, actually went up during that time," Harris said.

Shiriki Kumanyika, professor at Drexel University's Dornsife School of Public Health, challenged a view that food and beverage companies are basing their marketing practice on consumer demand.

"More likely, racialized marketing of unhealthy products reflects a flawed business model in which leveraging the demographics of social disadvantage to maximize profits from unhealthy foods and beverages is acceptable," Kumanyika said in a statement.

The Rudd Center’s report comes at a time of changing viewership, as more people watch programming on typically advertisement-free streaming services.

What are companies doing to address the issue?

The report said 19 companies were responsible for nearly 80% of Spanish-language and Black-targeted television advertising, the researchers said. These companies include the Kellogg Company and The Coca-Cola Company.

Many companies decreased spending on TV advertisements between 2017 and 2021 while others, such as Kellogg, saw increases, researchers said.

Kellogg said in a statement that their marketing investments "are reflective of the U.S. population."

A spokesperson from The Coca-Cola Company suggested USA TODAY reach out to the American Beverage Association because multiple companies in the industry are working to reduce the amount of sugar in their items.

American Beverage Association spokesman William Dermody said in a statement to USA TODAY that the nation's leading beverage companies are committed to responsible marketing and are offering more choices with less sugar than ever before.

"Our industry is committed to making sure all marketing is targeted appropriately both for age and for showcasing the full range of low and no-sugar products offered to all demographics," Dermody said.

Some food industry advertising for children has been linked to youth obesity, research shows. Commercials also impact a child's food choices.

Maureen Enright, vice president of the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, a voluntary pledge program created to address concerns about food advertising, said 20 of the nation's leading food, beverage and quick-serve restaurant companies participate in the program.

When participants advertise to children under 13, she said, the food they promote should meet strict limits on calories, sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars. It should also include important nutrients like Vitamin D or calcium.

Still, researchers say more work can be done. They say that includes food and beverage companies putting aside more resources for culturally relevant marketing of nutritious products in communities of color, as well as greater regulation.

"Companies should not be targeting them with their worst products," said Harris, of the Rudd Center.

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith covers race and history at USA TODAY. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter @T_Cusaac.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Unhealthy food ads targeted at minorities carry serious consequences