iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Pop stars are paid to promote food and drinks to adolescents, and most of it is unhealthy stuff, a new study in the Journal of Pediatrics finds.
Researchers investigated 590 celebrity endorsement commercials on YouTube by Billboard Top 100 artists, and 71 percent of beverages and 81 percent of food targeted at teens featured products which were deemed “poorly nutritious” because of calorie count, salt, sugar and saturated fat content.
Looking at 163 celebrities involved based on wins at teen awards shows, the top offenders included Will.I.AM, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears, and the most frequently cited food and drink brands were McDonald’s and Pepsi.
Food and drink represented the second largest category of celebrity endorsed products, second only to beauty and cosmetic goods.
Given the large amount of advertising targeting teens and the rising levels of teenage obesity, the study authors point out the importance of assessing the impact media has on kids’ health.
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