Child-targeted advertising has gained prominence ever since marketers recognized children as profitable consumer niche. Young children are increasingly surrounded by food advertising messages on television and other media and interactive networks.

Child-targeted advertising has gained prominence ever since marketers recognized children as profitable consumer niche. Young children are increasingly surrounded by food advertising messages on television and other media and interactive networks. These advertisements have been successful because children spend more time on watching television than on any other activity (Calvert 2008). However concerns have been raised over the influence of child-directed food advertisements on the rising prevalence of pediatric obesity and overweight cases. In essence television food advertisement influences childrens food consumption behaviours and choices which in turn leads to poor eating habits (Termini Roberto & Hostetter 2011).
Therefore the proposed policy will entail the formulation food advertisement guidelines that will limit the exposure of children to food advertisements on television. The policy will particularly focus on banning excessive promotion of unhealthy food in television shows and programs that target the child audience. Furthermore the policy will mandate advertisers to start promoting healthy eating behaviors. Hence it will be crucial to visit specific stakeholders not only to familiarize them with the proposed policy but also to garner their legislative support. The process will entail identifying policymakers that have a history and experience on influencing policies concerning pediatric issues.
Review of Empirical Evidence
Children possess astonishing ability to recall content promoted in the advertising messages they watch on television (Sitt and Kunkel 2008). The effectiveness of television food advertising targeting children is enhanced through the use of cartoons celebrities contests games kids clubs collectibles spokes-characters and much more. Product preference develops following exposure to a single advertisement. Repeated exposures to the same advertisement strengthen product preference. Childrens product preference influences their buying requests and childrens requests influences purchasing decisions that their parents make (Calvert 2008).
Recent discussions over the increasing trend in childhood obesity have focused attention on the role of television in fuelling childhood obesity. Researchers have published study findings pertaining to the correlations between exposure to television food advertisements and childrens food intake. For example Harris et al. (2009) has found out that child-targeted food advertisements focus largely on promoting foods that have high calorie and sugar content. Such foods include fast foods confectionaries carbonated beverages and salty snacks. Harris Schwartz and Brownell (2010) have established that children exposed to television food advertisements pester their parents to buy the advertised food items than those who are not.
Child-directed food advertisements influence childrens eating habits. The extensive marketing of unhealthy beverages and food has fuelled poor diet and increasing incidences of obesity among children and adolescents across developed nations. A study conducted in Australia indicated that 86% of television food commercials seen by children in 2009 constituted products rich in saturated fat sugar and/or sodium (Lobstein and Dibb 2005). Findings from another study contacted in the U.S reported that sugary cereals and fast foods constituted approximately 58% to 60% of all television advertisements seen by adolescents and children.
The United Kingdom and Australia are examples of developed countries that have enacted regulations to limit television food advertisements targeted towards children. These policies require advertisers to promote healthy foods and eating habits (Termini Roberto & Hostetter 2011). On the other hand Norway and Sweden has banned completely the marketing of foods to children of certain ages (Cavert 2008). In the United States food companies have developed self-regulations regarding child-targeted television food advertisement. However major food companies in the U.S have not made significant changes to the food advertisements on television that target children (Sharma Teret & Brownell 2010).
Conversely current policies governing child-targeted food advertisements vary considerably based on their approach and scope. While some have banned the marketing of unhealthy foods to children others have only set boundaries for the advertisements. For instance regulations in Australia have focused on reducing the overall amount of airtime devoted to food advertisements during childrens programs (Termini Roberto & Hostetter 2011). On the other hand Canada focused on the content of food advertisements that target children (Dhar & Baylis 2011). However the effectiveness of these policies depends on parents perceptions about food advertisements targeting children. The government may formulate sound policies but it is the responsibility of parents to control childrens consumption of television content (Sitt and Kunkel 2008).
The chosen policy issue is significant to nursing for two reasons. First pediatric obesity and overweight has increasingly become a principal public health concern in the United States. National data collected between 2011 and 2012 has indicated that one in every three American children becomes obese or overweight prior to their fifth birthday (Ogden et al. 2014). Secondly an elevated BMI in childhood years influences numerous sequels. For instance findings from various studies indicate that childhood obesity is a prerequisite for type 2 diabetes left ventricular hypertrophy asthma sleep apnea high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure (Freedman Kettel-Khan & Serdula 2011; Hughes & Reilly 2008; Saxe 2011).
The Policymaker Involved in the Policy Issue
The principal policymaker will be the county representative for the American Academy of Pediatricians. The American Academy of Pediatricians is a federal body that is involved in policy and advocacy issues at the federal state and community levels. The policymaker will be contacted via an email correspondence that using the email address retrieved from the organizations website. The first email communication will serve the purpose of sharing the policy issue with the county representative.
The Plan for the Legislative Visit
The visit will entail three critical steps. The first step will be to identify previous and current priority areas for policy development by the chosen policymaker. This step will be crucial to establish how the policy issue will fit in the policymakers agenda. The second step will entail establishing first contact with the policymaker through an email correspondence. The initial communication will be essential not only to familiarize the policymaker with the policy issue but also to develop the norms for the visit. The third step will be to make arrangements regarding the appropriate and flexible date and time for a visit. The legislative visit will take place in the county representatives office. The legislative visit is projected to take place within the next two weeks depending on the availability of the policymaker.
The Message to the Policymaker
Dave is a seven-year-old preschooler with a BMI exceeding the 85th percentile. The concern over Daves BMI was noted when he was brought to the hospital for well-child clinic. Daves mother was worried over his sons weight particularly on the issue of bullying both at school and in the community. Therefore Dave and his mother were booked for counseling to determine the underlying risk factors for Daves problem. During the counseling session Daves mother admitted that his son lives a sedentary lifestyle since he spends his free time watching television and playing video games. Nevertheless she indicated that she no longer has control over Daves eating habits because of his pester power when it comes to food choices.
Child-targeted food advertisement on television uses childrens favorite cartoon characters and celebrities to make the marketed foods more appealing. Documented evidence has shown that these advertisements influence childrens eating habits fundamentally. The television food advertisements that target children have disempowered parents concerning the control over their childrens eating habits. Therefore this policy issue asks you (the policymaker) to support the development of regulations that will limit advertisers from exposing children to unhealthy foods. The policy issue will also restrict the marketing of unhealthy foods to children. The primary aim of this policy will be to contribute to ongoing initiatives aimed at reversing the rising cases of pediatric obesity and overweight.
Techniques for Delivering the Message
The message will be sent through PowerPoint presentations as well as brochures. The documents will be emailed to the policymaker prior to scheduling the legislative visit. Since it may not be feasible to exhaust all issues during the visit because of time constraints email and telephone correspondence will lay the ground for establishing contact. Furthermore it will be crucial to assess the availability of any current proposals regarding the regulation of television food advertisements targeting children. This evaluation is necessary in the sense that it will determine how the proposed policy can fit into current policy discourses.
Feedback
The feedback got from the initial email correspondence is that the county representative was willing to engage in further discussion regarding the policy issue. The policymaker indicated that her organization (The American Academy of Pediatricians) is currently developing guidelines for expanding the role of pediatricians in the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity. Upon further discussion the policymaker has agreed that its members can start educating parents on the negative effect of television food advertisements that target children while awaiting the full adoption of the policy issue. This decision is essential given that the policy formulation process is complex and takes more time prior to full implementation.
The primary action expected from the policymaker is to lobby their coalition members to influence policy changes at the federal level. Now the policymaker has consented to a meeting that is scheduled for next week waiting confirmation date. Furthermore the policymaker has committed to push the policy issue on the top of agenda for her organization at the local level. It is expected that the scheduled meeting will establish milestones in gaining more legislative support from the policymaker.
Conclusion

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