Research at the University of Arizona shows that 84 percent of advertisements during children’s Spanish language television shows are for junk food, NBCLatino reports.
Dr. Dale Kunkel, who conducted the research, found that most of the unhealthy advertisements were for fast food. Forbes reports that advertisements lure children to their establishments by using popular television characters like Spongebob Squarepants.
Xavier Morales, executive director of Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, explains that the parents of Hispanic children who both work full time end up watching more television, according to a report from Forbes.
“Television is the only supervision available,” Morales said. “They become a captive audience for food marketers.”
These messages encourage children to turn to unhealthy foods that are high in sugars and fats.
Rep Aaron Shock (R-Ill) has recently proposed a bill called Stopping Taxpayers Outlook for Propaganda, or STOP, that would prevent the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention from stopping these negative nutrition messages, Forbes reported.
The American Diabetes Association has found that Type 2 Diabetes is becoming a fast growing condition within this demographic as well.
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