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Prof. Charles R. Taylor (John A. Murphy Professor of Marketing at Villanova University)

  • Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026 
  • Time: 2:00 - 3:30 pm
  • Location: Ludwigstr. 28, VG, Room 211b
  • Title: Food Advertising Under Threat? Why New Restrictions May Not Be Based on Sound Science
  • Abstract: This presentation report critically reviews scientific literature on the relationship between food advertising—particularly for less healthy food (LHF) products—and childhood obesity. With new regulations in the United Kingdom and elsewhere restricting the advertising of LHF products, it is important to assess the current evidence on the impact of such advertising on childhood obesity rates and consumption patterns. A comprehensive review of the literature is conducted to identify the best scientific knowledge on: i) the primary causes of childhood or adult obesity; ii) whether advertising is a significant causal factor associated with childhood or adult obesity; iii) whether advertising expenditures are increased with higher consumption of less healthy food; iv) whether advertising restrictions and bans are likely to be effective in reducing consumption of less healthy food; and v) what types of initiatives/programs, if any, have been found to show promise for reducing the prevalence of children being overweight. While some studies published in medical journals appear to support the notion that advertising of less healthy food is a causal factor in obesity, the weight of the evidence from studies that focus on the causes of obesity does not find that advertising is a significant factor. Moreover, evidence from the marketing literature strongly suggests that advertising does not increase primary demand for a product type and that bans on advertising are not effective in reducing aggregate demand. Research showing what types of programs can actually contribute to reducing childhood and adult obesity will be discussed, and suggested future research directions for marketing scholars are provided.
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