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In an experiment with 60 kids aged 2 to 5 years,
researchers focused on how advertising influences
what’s known as eating in the absence of hunger.
Preschoolers in the United States are heavily
exposed to unhealthy food advertisements.
Researchers gave all the children a healthy snack to
make sure they had a full belly, and then sat the
kids down to watch a 14-minute TV program with ads
for Bugles corn chips or for a department store.
All of the kids had Bugles corn chips and one other
snack in front of them while they watched the show.
Children who saw ads for the corn chips ate 127
calories on average, compared to just 97 calories
for kids who didn’t see Bugles on the screen,
researchers report in Pediatrics.
Early childhood is an important time for children to
learn healthy eating habits. Exposure to food
advertisements influences the food preferences and
requests of preschool aged children.
For more information:
Pediatrics
Randomized Exposure to Food Advertisements and
Eating in the Absence of Hunger Among Preschoolers
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