Abstract
Introduction: Digital marketing has become a primary driver of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) consumption among children and adolescents, posing significant risks to neurodevelopment and long-term population health. In Iran, the rapid expansion of digital food marketing has outpaced existing regulatory frameworks, which remain anchored in traditional media models. This brief examines how digitally mediated marketing reinforces addiction-like eating behaviors during critical periods of heightened neuroplasticity and reward sensitivity.
Methods: This policy brief synthesizes current evidence from neuroscience, public health, and regulatory science. The analysis utilizes the commercial determinants of health framework to examine the interaction between economic incentives, digital platform design, and evolving marketing practices in shaping food environments. Furthermore, international regulatory models from Chile, the United Kingdom, and Canada are reviewed to identify best practices for digital governance.
Results: The analysis reveals that current digital marketing practices exploit developmental vulnerabilities, potentially fostering maladaptive eating patterns. Existing Iranian regulations lack the specificity required to address the nuances of digital environments. Findings suggest that effective governance requires a transition from fragmented, reactive measures toward an adaptive approach characterized by transparent product classification and platform-independent principles.
Conclusion: To protect adolescent health and strengthen human capital, Iran requires an integrated policy framework. This entails adopting the NOVA classification system to define regulated foods, enacting comprehensive technology-neutral restrictions on child-directed digital marketing, and establishing robust national surveillance systems using validated instruments to monitor addiction-like eating behaviors. Together, these measures support a necessary transition toward adaptive governance in rapidly evolving digital food environments.