Marketing of Food and Beverages to Children in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Situational Analysis of the Regulatory Framework

By MUBS Research Dept, May 2022.

The marketing that children and adolescents are exposed to in their homes, schools, and communities influences their food preferences and dietary habits. Despite its significance, there has been no recent analysis of youth marketing in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).

To this end, Dr. Jana Jabbour, Adjunct Faculty at MUBS, and Dr. Ayoub Al Jawaldeh, Regional Advisor for nutrition in the EMR, recently published a situational analysis on the regulatory framework of food marketing policies targeted at children in the EMR. Results revealed that only 14% of the region's member states imposed any kind of restrictions, and none implemented a comprehensive marketing strategy. The paper revealed that reforms have primarily targeted traditional media outlets (television and radio), ignoring mobile applications. This project emphasizes the importance of enacting comprehensive food marketing policies within and across EMR countries.

This study is in alignment with the University's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). For more about MUBS' efforts toward achieving UN SDGs, visit our page: www.mubs.edu.lb/sdg

For those interested in the full paper, you can check it out at the link below: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.868937/full