A recent study found out that fast food TV commercials greatly influence children's food choices. The marketing strategies of these big fast food chains seemed to be really effective. They use bright and vivid colors in the ads, touch emotions, promote toy freebies and other giveaways, and many more - all these are noted to be "pleasant to the eyes of the kids".
All these tactics caught the attention of the kids and would want to dine and buy the said "value meals". Geared towards promoting the products and persuading families especially the kids to visit the fast food restaurant, these TV ads are found more effective in making these kids their "frequent and valued guests".
According to Consumer Health Day, a new study that has been recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics included 100 children, aged 3 to 7, and one of their parents.
Focused on the advertising of Burger King and McDonald's, the two major fast-food brands on ad-supported children's networks, such as Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, the research findings indicated that the more often kids watched these TV channels with frequent fast food ads, the more likely their family went to that fast food chain to eat out, enjoy the meal and take the "free toys" home.
In a press release, the researchers from Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine found that 37 percent of parents reported that their families made frequent stops at the two major fast food chains. Thus, 54 percent of the children in the study asked to visit these restaurants at least once. Also, 29 percent of the kids enjoyed collecting the toys from children's meals, and of these children, 83 percent had asked to visit one or even both of the two major national fast food restaurant chains.
According to Jennifer Edmond, a professor at the Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine, cutting down on the number of commercials a child is exposed to will help them forget about fast food. "For now, our best advice to parents is to switch their child to commercial-free TV programming to help avoid pestering for foods seen in commercials," Emond said in a journal news release.
Other health risks of frequent fast food meal consumptions as well as the correlation between TV advertising and obesity risk factors are further discussed and evaluated by the American Psychological Association (APA).
