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Marketing of Unhealthy Products
Introduction
The United States faces a significant obesity problem, with adult obesity increasing by over 25% between 2008 and 2018 (Li & Whitacre, 2020). This rise is often attributed to processed foods; however, the promotion of unhealthy foods and beverages has also escalated. Consequently, diabetes cases continue to climb nationwide. This raises ethical concerns about distributing, marketing, and creating products that harm people for profit. Bundy et al. (2023) found that even companies offering healthier options still derive more revenue from unhealthy food sales.
Problem Statement
The general problem to be addressed is the marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages, resulting in an increase in illnesses. Krank et al. (2022) argued that media campaigns were subject to an overabundance of corporations marketing their sugary drinks. Frances et al. (2025) claim that children are over-exposed to unhealthy outdoor food advertisements on the way to and from school. Barnhill et al. (2022) found that some unhealthy foods are marketed directly to Black and Latino children. The specific problem to be addressed is the potential of the overabundance of advertisements in marketing unhealthy food and beverages, possibly resulting in an increase in obesity.
Sample
The sample for the study is composed of four groups of individuals. The first group in the sample would consist of consumers: adults, adults with children, and minorities. The next group would consist of nutrition specialists and doctors. The third group would include legislative personnel and lawyers. The last group would consist of marketing executives and officers of companies that promote unhealthy foods and beverages.
Research Paradigm
The problem of marketing unhealthy foods needs social assistance due to the influence of corporate actors who prioritize the bottom line over public health. The best paradigm for this is constructivism, which aligns with a qualitative method. This paradigm will enable me to analyze business practices as well as the culture of the organization marketing these unhealthy products, all through interviews and other forms of data collection appropriate in qualitative research.
Bias
Trott et al. (2021) described how advertising occurs across demographics. A targeting bias can involve marketing to consumers who share one or more demographic characteristics, such as intentionally marketing unhealthy food products and beverages to youths, especially minorities. Companies in these industries target low-income and racial communities due to their limited financial resources. Proverbs 22:16 refers to the advertising practices of companies that market to the less financially able for the sake of profit. In turn, the wealth gained will be lost (King James Bible, 1769/2017).
Lens Theory
A corporate social responsibility (CSR) lens is the most fitting for this research. Profits are the key motivator for corporations and are the priority of many companies, including those advertising unhealthy food and beverage products. Advertising to minorities shows a lack of ethics, and a CSR lens will enable me to explore issues related to accountability for firms’ advertising practices.
Conclusion
Marketing unhealthy food and beverage choices to youth, minorities, or low-income communities is highly unethical. These corporations prioritize profits over public health. Corporations distributing these unhealthy products should consider being socially responsible. Sacks and Looi (2020) suggested that there is an opportunity for social media platforms to restrict the advertising of unhealthy foods to youths. Implementing such restrictions could significantly reduce the exposure of vulnerable populations to harmful marketing practices.
References
Bandy, L., Jewell, J., Luick, M., Rayner, M., Li, Y., Shats, K., Jebb, S., Chang, S., & Dunford, E. (2023). The development of a method for the global health community to assess the proportion of food and beverage companies’ sales that are derived from unhealthy foods. Globalization and Health, 19, Article 94. to an external site.
Barnhill, A., Ramírez, A. S., Ashe, M., Berhaupt-Glickstein, A., Freudenberg, N., Grier, S. A., Watson, K. E., & Kumanyika, S. (2022). The racialized marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages: Perspectives and potential remedies. The Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics, 50(1), 52–59. to an external site.
Francis, J., Ross, E., Pulker, C., Brinkman, S., Mandzufas, J., Martin, K., Howard, J., & Trapp, G. (2025). Children’s views on outdoor advertising of unhealthy food and beverages near schools. Appetite, 206, Article 107851. to an external site.
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. to an external site. (Original work published 1769)
Kraak, V. I., Stanley, K. C., Harrigan, P. B., & Zhou, M. (2022). How have media campaigns been used to promote and discourage healthy and unhealthy beverages in the United States? A systematic scoping review to inform future research to reduce sugary beverage health risks. Obesity Reviews, 23(5), Article e13425. to an external site.
Li, Y., & Whitacre, B. E. (2022). Economic growth and adult obesity rates in rural America. Review of Regional Studies, 52(3), 387–410. to an external site.
Sacks, G., & Looi, E. S. Y. (2020). The advertising policies of major social media platforms overlook the imperative to restrict the exposure of children and adolescents to the promotion of unhealthy foods and beverages. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(11), Article 4172. to an external site.
Trott, V., Li, N., Fordyce, R., & Andrejevic, M. (2021). Shedding light on “dark” ads. Continuum, 35(5), 761–774. to an external site.
