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Introduction. Food marketing is one of the main factors in the increase in childhood obesity.
The objective is to compare the strategies used for promotion of food and beverages
advertisements on Sri Lankan television for children and adults. Method. Among 16 analog
television channels in Sri Lanka, 50% of the channels were selected randomly after stratifying
according to language. Recording was during weekdays and weekends. In total, 95 different food
and beverages advertisements were analyzed irrespective of the channel. Results. Among all food
and beverages-related advertisements, 78% were child focused, and among these 74% claimed
health benefits. A statistically significant difference was found in terms of implications related
to nutrition or health (P < .05). None of the advertisements contained disclaimers. Conclusion
and recommendations. The Ministry of Health needs to pursue all food and beverages-focused
advertisements for policy formulation and implementation.
