Are junk food websites getting kids hooked?
Multinational food and soft drink companies are using their own websites to promote unhealthy foods to children potentially as young as four, reported the Consumers International (CI).The study, published in a new CI report, New Media, Same Old Tricks, released for World Consumer Rights Day earlier this month, looked at the national and international websites of the top 10 food and drink companies by advertising spend to assess the methods used to promote unhealthy food and drink to children under 16. Household names such as Kellogg’s, KFC, McDonald’s, and Nestlé are attracting children online with internet clubs, interactive games, and MySpace-style sites. Parents are also targeted with reassuring messages about the educational value of online games, web safety information and promotional coupons. McDonald’s mcworld.com, for instance, allows children as young as four to register for free games and promotions, registration on pepsi.com requests detailed information about children’s sof
