NATURE AND EXTENT OF FOOD PROMOTION AND FOOD PROVISION IN NIGERIA
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Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
According to several research, one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases is a bad eating environment. Although the term “food environment” has been used in a variety of contexts, a more modern definition succinctly describes it as the interface that people use to interact with the larger food system (Herforth and Ahmed, 2015). Food environments play a generally acknowledged role in the current multifaceted burden of malnutrition (undernutrition, obesity, overweight, and deficiencies in some micronutrients) and diet-related non-communicable diseases (Swinburn et al., 2019).
Healthy and sustainable diets are mostly determined by them. Globally, there is increasing concern for public health due to obesity and associated non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The physical, economic, social, and cultural context in which people engage with the food system to make decisions about obtaining, preparing, and eating food is known as the “food environment” (European Public Health Alliance, 2019). It includes the foods that individuals can find around them as they go about their daily lives, as well as the foods’ nutritional value, safety, affordability, ease of preparation, labeling, and marketing (Story et al., 2008).
Because food environments give people choices when it comes to what to eat, they are important in shaping dietary habits and, eventually, health implications. According to FAO (2016), a healthy food environment is one that fosters the availability of and motivation for individuals to select and follow healthy diets. Food promotion and food provision are two essential elements of the food environment.
Food promotion refers to the marketing and advertising of food products, including through traditional media such as television and newspapers, as well as through new media such as social media and mobile devices. Food promotion, which is defined as the dissemination of messages intended to persuade or encourage the purchase or consumption of a product or raise awareness of a brand, has a significant impact on consumer’s consumption patterns and is a key component of food environments that are deemed to be “obesogenic” (Emma and Rosa, 2013).
In such settings, there are several high in saturated fat, free sugar and salts (HFSS) foods that are widely accessible, affordable (being less expensive, or at least seen to be less expensive, than healthy foods), and persistently marketed (Emma and Rosa, 2013).
Food marketing and advertising have a significant impact on consumer consumption, particularly among youth and young adults. The majority of unhealthy products, like fast food and beverages, are marketed through social media platforms like Facebook and Youtube, as well as mass media outlets like television and billboards.
Teenagers, who are typically between the ages of 13 and 17, and young children, who are under the age of 12, are the target market for this strategy. Cartoon characters, music, and lastly games are the means by which these kids are persuaded (Dunlop et al., 2016). The ‘Big Four’ of pre-sugared breakfast cereals, soft drinks, candy, and savory snacks are heavily marketed in television advertising, which dominates the promotion of children’s food, according to Georgina and Gerrard (2013) in a study on the impact of food promotion on children.
The past ten years have seen a tremendous increase in fast food restaurant advertising, turning the “Big Four” into the “Big Five”. There is evidence to suggest that the predominance of television is beginning to wane. Strong, worldwide branding is important because it emphasizes the necessity for multimodal communications that incorporate merchandise, “tie-ins,” and point-of-sale activities with television.
Children are encouraged to follow a diet that is very different from the one recommended by public health professionals, and it does so by emphasizing flavor and pleasure over health and nutrition. The recommended diet, however, is not well publicized. Many advertisements and promotions have an impact on people’s actions. The majority of items available today have the potential to be harmful to consumers’ health.
The “Effect of media use on children and youth” (2003) states that customers are more likely to be exposed to advertisements for fast food and fatty foods than they are to the daily allowance of calories and nutrients. Most of the products that are advertised are high in calories and contain items with little to no nutritional value, such as sweet cereals, candies, chocolate, and snacks. Future health consequences may result from consuming these items in excess (Jaruwan, 2017).
The availability, cost, and accessibility of food in institutional contexts, such as workplaces, hospitals, and schools, is referred to as “food provision.” More and more research is showing that dietary practices and, eventually, health consequences are significantly influenced by the food environment, especially when it comes to overweight and obesity. For instance, a recent study carried out in Nigeria discovered a strong correlation between overweight and obesity in school-aged children and exposure to food marketing (FAO, 2018).
In a similar vein, an adult study carried out in Nigeria discovered that exposure to food commercials was linked to a higher chance of consuming unhealthy meals (Ogimdijo et al., 2018). Additionally, there is proof that eating environments in formal settings, like offices and schools, can have a big impact on employees’ eating habits and overall health. For instance, a Nigerian teenage study discovered a correlation between a lower risk of overweight and obesity and the availability of healthy food options in schools (WHO, 2021).