A new report finds that children link eating junk foods to having a "better time." What's more, watching TV advertisements about unhealthy foods make children feel hungry.
The new study also finds that young children enjoy watching TV ads that are engaging and funny. Plus, the kids are able to recall the ads' tunes.
"It's clear the restrictions already in place during children's TV shows aren't enough. Children are watching junk food ads during family programs where these restrictions don't apply," said Cancer Research UK director of prevention, Alison Cox.
The Cancer Research UK study involved 137 children between the ages of 8 and 12. These kids were attending primary schools in England and Scotland.
Small groups of children were asked to watch two fast food TV ads that featured food items rich in sugar, salt or fat. The children are then asked questions about the TV ads they saw, which were mostly about eating.
Current rules are against junk foods promotion in children's TV shows. The study found, however, that kids are still influenced by TV ads during other times of the day. And that influence is quite heavy.
These TV ads lead to children asking their parents to buy junk food, the researchers found.
One of the participants even said that the TV commercial about pizza take-out made him want to "lick the screen." In fact, some of the child participants described unhealthy food items as "addictive."
Moreover, some of the participants said they loved that the characters and the people shown in the TV ads seem to be having a "good time." Others also said the commercials made them hungry and want to eat the items shown on the TV screens.
The researchers discovered that despite children having the good level of knowledge when it comes to nutrition, the TV ads tempt them into consuming unhealthy food items or junk foods.
In the long run, what children remember are the fast food TV ads as well as the bright colors and packaging associated with them. This leads to the increased probability that the children will ask their parents for specific items when they do visit the grocery stores.
"It's worrying to hear that children associate junk food with having a better time and it's clear from the discussions that advertising can influence how they eat," said Dr. Jyotsna Vohra, head of Cancer Research UK's Policy Research Centre for Cancer Prevention.
Photo: Happy Meal | Flickr
