Sonya A. Grier Kogod School of Business

American University

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Presentation to The Lambert Family Communication Conference: Children, Media and Race

Washington, D.C., June 8, 2011

Media Disparities, Marketing and Obesity among Minority Youth

Obesity among 2-5 year olds (2003-2006)

12.4

16.6

13.3

10.2 11.1

14.5

18.8

0 2 4 6 8

10 12 14 16 18 20

Total Girls (2-5) Boys (2-5)

Total Non-Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic White Mexican-American

Ogden, Cynthia L., Margaret D. Carroll, and Katherine M. Flegal (2008), "High Body Mass Index for Age among Us Children and Adolescents, 2003-2006 " JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 299 (20), 2401-05.

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Obesity among 12-19 year olds (2003-2006)

Ogden, Cynthia L., Margaret D. Carroll, and Katherine M. Flegal (2008), "High Body Mass Index for Age among Us Children and Adolescents, 2003-2006 " JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 299 (20), 2401-05.

17.6

27.7

18.5

14.5 17.3

19.9 22.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Total Girls Boys

Total Non-Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic White Mexican-American

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Ethnicity, Obesity and Income

NHANES 1999-2004; Source Freedman et al, Gen Med 2007;9(2):26;data are for children ages 2 to 19

17 15 15 14

11

18 19 17

27

21 22 18

21 21

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5

10

15

20

25

30

% o

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Poverty Income Ratio

Non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic black Mexican-American

Influence of Media on Obesity

Obesity

1. Eating Behavior

2. Physical Activity

ENERGY BALANCE

1. Eat while viewing

2. Displace physical activity

3. Marketing

MECHANISMS MEDIA

Food Marketing and Obesity

Food Marketing

Eating Behavior

7

•  Are African Americans more likely to be targeted with unhealthy foods than White consumers? − What types of food and beverages products are they made aware

of, do they have access to, and what do they cost?

•  Systematic review of empirical research over 14 year period (992-2006) across disciplines

•  Search identified 20 interdisciplinary articles − Eight studies on promotion and product − Eleven studies of food distribution −  Three studies of food prices

Sonya A. Grier, PhD, MBA, and Shiriki K. Kumanyika PhD, MPH

American Journal of Public Health, 2008; 98: 1616-1629

Summary of Review Findings

•  Promotion dominated by low cost, low nutrition food products such as soda and snacks. –  Positive nutritional messages less frequent

•  Relative to predominately white neighborhoods, predominately Black neighborhoods: –  have fewer supermarkets, and healthier food

choices may be less prevalent. –  have a higher density of fast food outlets –  yet fast food may cost significantly more

(Targeted) Marketing Environment

Product Strategy •  Types of Food •  Packaging •  Portion Sizes

Distribution Strategy •  Food outlet Presence

− Fast food − Supermarkets

•  Variety and quality of food available

Price Strategy •  Actual Prices •  Relative Prices •  Cost to Access

Promotion Strategy •  Advertising •  Sales Promotions •  Sampling •  Cross-promotions •  Cause-Related

Implications and Needed Research

•  Need a comprehensive understanding of the media and marketing environment –  All marketing strategies and tactics, individually and

synergistically •  Must better understand consumer response

–  potential ‘susceptibility’ –  complexity of attitudes towards marketing –  within-group heterogeneity

•  Interaction of individual, social and environmental factors

Acknowledgements

•  Shiriki Kumanyika, University of Pennsylvania •  Dominique Harrison and Kalina Stefanova (RA’s) •  African American Obesity Research Collaborative

(AACORN) •  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Questions or comments?