Nutritional quality and marketing strategies of fast food children’s combo meals in Guatemala

Abstract

BackgroundOverweight and obesity prevalence in children is now on the rise in low/middle-income countries, including Guatemala. Fast food consumption is a recognized contributing factor to this rise. Fast food restaurants use health claims, toy giveaways, price incentives and fast service to promote children’s combo meals. This study sought to assess the use of toy giveaways, time to delivery and price incentives as marketing strategies in fast food chain restaurants in Guatemala. In addition, we sought to compare nutritional quality of combo meals with and without health claims.MethodsWe visited one restaurant from each of the 8 major fast food chains in Guatemala and purchased all children’s combo meals to assess the prevalence of toy giveaways, health claims, and difference in delivery time and price between the combo meal and each meal item purchased separately. Each item was then classified as “healthy” or “less healthy” using the UK Nutrition Profile Model. Nutrition information was collected on-site, from the restaurant website, or by calling the customer service phone number.ResultsWe found 114 combo meals, 21 (18.4%) of which were children’s combo meals. Five (24%) had nutrition information, all were classified by our analysis as “less healthy”, and three had a health claim. On average, combo meals were US$1.93 less expensive than purchasing children’s meal items individually (p = 0.01). Time to delivery was 1.44 min faster for combo meals compared to purchasing meal items individually (p = 0.19).ConclusionsChildren’s fast food combo meals in Guatemala were promoted using several marketing strategies that encourage consumption, including offering toy giveaways and price incentives. In addition, nutrition information is lacking in fast food chain restaurants. Public health advocates in Guatemala should consider a comprehensive approach to encourage healthier choices within fast food restaurants including policies that require fruit and vegetable options for meal side dishes, accessible and easy to read nutrition information, and restrict the use of toy giveaways.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40608-016-0136-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Scoping review of studies on food marketing in Latin America: Summary of existing evidence and research gaps

“…Twenty-five studies inquired several topics related with television advertisement. Fourteen of them found that food and nonalcoholic beverage advertisements represented between 5.6% and 36.4% of all television ads 24,[27][28][29]34,36,37,40,43,49,52,53,56,59 .…”

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“…Despite a decrease in spending on toys/premiums to promote children's meals in fast‐food restaurants in the United States (Federal Trade Commission, ), studies have consistently found that price promotions and toys are used in other countries as a way to market children's meals in fast‐food restaurants (e.g., Guatemala: Mazariegos, Chacón, Cole, & Barnoya, ).…”

Diet, physical activity, obesity and related cancer risk: strategies to reduce cancer burden in the Americas

“…An analysis of six fast food chain restaurants in Guatemala, five international (McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut) and one local (Pollo Campero), found that they all have children's combo meals, ranging from five (McDonald's) to two different combos per chain (Pizza Hut). 36 Even though taxation is promising strategy to decrease fast food consumption, 37 this might not be the case in Guatemala. Children´s combo meals have been found to be expensive, ranging from a median of 3.77 (Pizza Hut) to 3.50 dollars (Kentucky Fried Chicken).…”

“…Children´s combo meals have been found to be expensive, ranging from a median of 3.77 (Pizza Hut) to 3.50 dollars (Kentucky Fried Chicken). 36 This accounts for nearly a third of the daily minimum wage in Guatemala (11 dollars). Regardless, on average, children's combo meals are 1.93 dollars less expensive than purchasing children's meal items individually (p= 0.01), and most meals also included a toy giveaway.…”

“…38 If the children´s combo meals from Guatemalan fast food chain restaurants were subject to the same standards of the Toy Ordinance, none would meet the minimal nutritional criteria and therefore would be prohibited. 36…”