Food and Beverage Marketing to Children and Adolescents

Few doubt that childhood obesity is a serious threat to our nation’s health. But there is a huge debate over who is responsible and what should be done.

One aspect of the debate involves disagreement over food and beverage marketing targeting children. What does ethical and responsible food and beverage marketing to children look like? According to some business ethics scholars, a major part of business decision-making falls within gray areas where the border between right and wrong behavior is blurred.

This chapter from Advances in Communication Research to Reduce Childhoood Obesity* highlights the intricacies of these complicated issues by examining perceptions of the ethics of marketing food and beverage products to children.

*Williams, Jerome D., Keryn E. Pasch, and Chiquita A. Collins, eds. Advances in communication research to reduce childhood obesity. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.