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  1. Nourishment
  2. Food advertising

Food advertising

Features>Nourishment>45. Food advertising

45. Food advertising

Every year, food companies spend billions of dollars marketing and advertising unhealthy foods to children and adults, contributing to the creation of an obesogenic (obesity-promoting) environment. Over a billion dollars are spent annually on marketing breakfast cereals, carbonated beverages and restaurant food to youth alone. However, access to nutrition information can help individuals learn about and develop better eating habits. Further, limiting advertising cues for unhealthy foods can help individuals make better food selections and mitigate suboptimal nutritional choices.

This feature eliminates the advertising of unhealthy foods, while promoting the advertising of better food choices such as fresh fruits and vegetables and whole food meals.

Part 1: Advertising and Environmental Cues

The following requirement is met:

a.77 Advertisements for any food or beverage items that do not conform to the requirements set forth in the Processed Foods Feature are not displayed on the premises.
Part 2: Nutritional Messaging

Using prominent displays such as educational posters, brochures or other visual media, designated eating areas or common areas contain a total of at least 3 instances of messaging intended to achieve each of the following requirements:

a.77 Encourage the consumption of whole, natural foods and cuisines.
b.77 Discourage the consumption of sugary or processed foods, beverages and snacks.
Part 3: Healthy Choices Promotion

The following requirements are met for point-of-decision prompts to promote healthier eating decisions:

a.162 Menu signage provided upon entry to the dining area featuring only healthy food options.
b.162 Menu signage provided at the beginning of the food service line, if present, featuring only healthy food options.
Part 4: Healthy Menu Design

Menus and menu boards are designed to meet at least two of the following requirements:

a.175 Healthy menu items are listed using appealing descriptions.
b.175 Healthy menu items are visually highlighted, such as through icons, different colors or bolding.
c.175 Healthy menu items are listed first in each menu section.
d.175 Healthy menu items are listed in prominent areas of the menu, for example at the top, bottom or corners of a menu page.
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Applicability Matrix

Core & Shell New & Existing Buildings New & Existing Interiors
Part 1: Advertising and Environmental Cues O P P
Part 2: Nutritional Messaging O P P
Part 3: Healthy Choices Promotion - - -
Part 4: Healthy Menu Design - - -
Commercial Kitchen Education Multifamily Residential Restaurant Retail
Part 1: Advertising and Environmental Cues P P O P -
Part 2: Nutritional Messaging - P O P -
Part 3: Healthy Choices Promotion - P - - -
Part 4: Healthy Menu Design - - - P -

Verification Methods Matrix

Letters of Assurance Annotated Documents On-Site Checks
Part 1: Advertising and Environmental Cues Visual Inspection
Part 2: Nutritional Messaging Visual Inspection
Part 3: Healthy Choices Promotion Architect Visual Inspection
Part 4: Healthy Menu Design Architect Visual Inspection

77

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition, December 2010. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.
45.1.a

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans identifies that nutrition and physical activity decisions are influenced by marketing and media.
45.2.a

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans identifies that nutrition and physical activity decisions are influenced by marketing and media.
45.2.b

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans identifies that nutrition and physical activity decisions are influenced by marketing and media.
162

Huang, TT, Sorensen, D, Davis, S, Frerichs, L, Brittin, J, Celentano, J, Callahan, K, and Trowbridge, MJ. Healthy Eating Design Guidelines for School Architecture. Prev Chronic Dis. 2013; 10: E27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3592783/#R10. Accessed March 30, 2015.
45.3.a

The Healthy Eating Design Guidelines outline the provision of menu signage at the entry to the dining area as a strategy for reinforcing healthy eating messages.
45.3.b

The Healthy Eating Design Guidelines outline the provision of menu signage at food serving areas as a strategy for reinforcing healthy eating messages.
175

Wansink B. Restaurant Dining by Design. In: Slim By Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everday Life. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers; 2014: 65-111.
45.4.c

Slim by Design notes to list healthier items first under menu sections.
45.4.d

Slim by Design discusses how menu the design of a menu could help guide the viewer's eye to healthier items, and notes that typically menus are read in a Z-shaped pattern, starting at the top left.
45.4.a

Slim by Design notes that descriptive words for healthy menu options sell more of that item.
45.4.b

Slim by Design discusses how the design of a menu could help guide the viewer's eye to healthier items, such as through the use of text styling differences that catch the eye including bold type or icons.
Features>Nourishment>45. Food advertising