To evaluate the nutritional quality of products advertised on television (TV) during children's viewing time in Spain, applying the UK nutrient profile model (UKNPM).

We recorded 80 h of four general TV station broadcasts during children's viewing time in May and June 2008, and identified all advertisements for foods and beverages. Nutritional information was obtained from the product labels or websites and from food composition tables. Each product was classified as healthy (e.g. gazpacho, a vegetable juice) or less healthy (e.g. potato crisp snacks) according to the UKNPM criteria.

Four free-of-charge TV channels in Spain: two national channels and two regional ones.

TV commercials of food and beverages.

A total of 486 commercials were broadcast for ninety-six different products, with a mean frequency of 5·1 advertisements per product. Some 61·5 % of the ninety-six products were less healthy, and the percentage was higher for foods (74·1 %). All (100 %) of the breakfast cereals and 80 % of the non-alcoholic drinks and soft drinks were less healthy. Of the total sample of commercials, 59·7 % were for less healthy products, a percentage that rose to 71·2 % during children's reinforced protection viewing time.

Over half the commercials were for less healthy products, a proportion that rose to over two-thirds during the hours of special protection for children. This suggests that applying the UKNPM to regulate food advertising during this slot would entail the withdrawal of most food commercials in Spain. TV advertising of products with low nutritional quality should be restricted.

To examine whether the German food industry directs commercials for unhealthy products to children and whether self-administered voluntary restrictions on the promotion of less healthy foods (the EU Pledge) are effective to mitigate this exposure.

By analysing German data from television (TV) channels, advertised products were categorized and food products classified as core foods (healthy) and non-core foods (less healthy). Marketing techniques were documented. Food commercials were furthermore compared with commercials for toy products, and comparisons were made between advertising patterns before and after the EU Pledge.

Data for ten German TV channels were recorded for two weekdays and two weekend days from 06.00 to 22.00 hours in 2007 and 2008. A second sample containing one weekday and one weekend day of three German TV channels was recorded again in 2010 for comparison in the same time period.

In total 16 062 advertisements from 2007–2008 and 2657 from 2010 were analysed.

In 2007–2008 19·9 % of TV commercials were for food products, of which 73 % were for non-core foods, 21 % for core foods and 6 % not classified. In three specified channels widely viewed by children and youth, 14·5 % of commercials were for food products, of which 88·2 % were for non-core foods. Commercials for unhealthy foods were broadcast significantly more often during children's peak viewing and in children's programmes, with a higher use of promotional characters and premiums than found in commercials for non-food products. In 2010, analysis of the three specified channels found that 18·5 % of commercials were for food products, of which 98·2 % were for non-core foods. While the use of premiums decreased compared with other commercials, the use of promotional characters in non-core food commercials increased, especially during children's programmes.

Children in Germany are exposed to large numbers of food commercials. The exposure to commercials for non-core foods and the use of techniques attractive to children are widespread and appear to have remained unaffected by the announcement of the EU Pledge in December 2007. We conclude that the industry's voluntary agreement has failed to fulfil its declared purpose.

To examine the association between television advertising exposure and adults’ consumption of fast foods.

Cross-sectional telephone survey. Questions included measures of frequency of fast-food consumption at different meal times and average daily hours spent watching commercial television.

Subjects comprised 1495 adults (41 % response rate) aged ≥18 years from Victoria, Australia.

Twenty-three per cent of respondents usually ate fast food for dinner at least once weekly, while 17 % consumed fast food for lunch on a weekly basis. The majority of respondents reported never eating fast food for breakfast (73 %) or snacks (65 %). Forty-one per cent of respondents estimated watching commercial television for ≤1 h/d (low viewers); 29 % watched for 2 h/d (moderate viewers); 30 % watched for ≥3 h/d (high viewers). After adjusting for demographic variables, high viewers were more likely to eat fast food for dinner at least once weekly compared with low viewers (OR = 1·45; 95 % CI 1·04, 2·03). Both moderate viewers (OR = 1·53; 95 % CI 1·01, 2·31) and high viewers (OR = 1·81; 95 % CI 1·20, 2·72) were more likely to eat fast food for snacks at least once weekly compared with low viewers. Commercial television viewing was not significantly related (P > 0·05) to fast-food consumption at breakfast or lunch.

The results of the present study provide evidence to suggest that cumulative exposure to television food advertising is linked to adults’ fast-food consumption. Additional research that systematically assesses adults’ behavioural responses to fast-food advertisements is needed to gain a greater understanding of the mechanisms driving this association.