This short professionally produced DVD supported by a simple, easy to read booklet, aims to raises parents’ awareness of the impact of television food advertising on children’s eating preferences and food requests. It provides practical tips for “creating a family friendly media zone”.
A Parent Information Session is available for use by children’s health and education professionals to raise awareness about these issues within their parent communities, using the DVD and booklet package resource.
Background to the project
Through Thick or Thin 2: strategies to reduce exposure to television food advertising used information that had been gathered during YMA’s 2005 Through Thick or Thin 1 project to develop a resource package entitled Healthy Viewing for Healthy Eating. The package which includes a DVD, a booklet and a Parent Information Session, aims to motivate and encourage parents of under sevens to reduce their children’s exposure to television food advertising.
To download the Parent Information Session in pdf 
format click here
To ask for a copy of the DVD and booklet package, or to find out anything more about this project, please contact YMA on helpline@youngmedia.org.au
Evaluation of the Healthy Viewing for Healthy Eating resource package
Three strategies supporting this resource were trialled in three States: South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria. The strategies were (a) posting out the booklet only, (b) posting out the DVD and booklet together and (c) giving out the DVD and booklet in the context of the Parent Information Session. The DVD and booklet are being promoted primarily through presentations to health professionals, and articles in professional journals. Community child health agencies are being asked to conduct the Parent Information Session with parents in their communities, to encourage them to reduce their children’s exposure to television food advertising.
All of the strategies were found to be effective in influencing some aspects of parents’ attitudes and practices around their children’s exposure to television food advertising. Of particular interest was a shift, most noticeably in the group of parents who were posted the DVD and accompanying booklet, from watching a majority of commercial TV on Saturday mornings, to watching videos and DVDs. This is of considerable significance, given the absence of ABC TV for kids on Saturday mornings, and the consequent greater exposure of children to food ads on programs shown on commercial stations at this time.
As anticipated, the most effective delivery strategy appears to be a combination of all three components, that is a Parent Information Session at which participants are given a copy of the DVD and booklet package.
To download the report Resource Package to support parents in reducing exposure to food ads: Overall Effectiveness and Relative effectiveness of three components April 2008 in pdf format click here
Thank you
YMA would like to acknowledge the assistance of the following groups and individuals:
