Latino Kids Targeted by Sugary Sodas & Calorie-Packed Food Ads, Researchers Report

A current research revealed that black and Hispanic youngsters are now the target of television advertisements of sodas containing high levels of sugar, snacks and other calorie-filled restaurant food.

NBC News reported that the results of the research conducted by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, the African-American Collaborative Obesity Research Network and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio confirmed earlier reports that advertisers of these unhealthy food mostly find kids as a great audience for their products.

The research appears to explain why black and Hispanic young people tend to be more obese than their white counterparts. Reportedly, African-American children and teens see 70 percent more food-related TV advertising than white kids do.

"This is a clear case of tactics that must be profitable from the business perspective but at the cost of fostering an environment that promotes poor health in black and Hispanic youth in particular," explained chair of the African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network Shiriki Kumanyika.

The study's lead author, Jennifer Harris, said in a TakePart report that they were not surprised about the discovery.

"Unfortunately, the majority of brands targeted to youth of color are nutritionally poor products that can be harmful to their health," the lead researcher noted.

"It wasn't surprising that there was more unhealthy stuff targeted to black and Hispanic consumers. What was surprising was the lack of healthy stuff. Almost all the advertising was for fast food, candy, and sugary drinks," Harris went on.

Among 22 companies selling healthy products like yogurts and juices, only two brands targeted Hispanics and black Americans.

The research is said to focus on food companies with budgets amounting to more than $100 million for the year 2013. This included big restaurant chains like McDonald's.

In addition, UConn Today mentioned that the study sees the need for the regulation of these advertisements.

"Given the role food marketing plays in influencing the diets of youth of color, there is increasing demand for heightened industry self-regulation and community-based action," said Amelie G. Ramirez, director of journal Salud America!

Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the research was reportedly crafted to check on the marketing practices of food companies and identify opportunities to reduce marketing disparities aimed at youth races.

The issues raised in this research call for action on the advertisement industry to consider the health of their young audience directly affected by these food products.