Newsflash: Advertising usually works!  That’s the quick conclusion from two studies that looked closer at the influence of food advertising on children.

• AS Bruce et al. J Pediatr 2016; 177: 27-32.
• LS McGale et al. J Pediatr 2016; 177: 33-8.

The first study recruited 209 children aged 4-8 years and asked them to rate their taste preferences  for 3 matched food pairs, presented with or without a brand equity character displayed on packaging.  Key finding: “Children were significantly more likely to show a preference for foods with a brand equity character  displayed on the packaging.” Thus, the authors conclude that these characters promote unhealthy food choices (foods high in fat, salt, and sugar) in children.

As an aside, the reverse of this type of branding happened with Obamacare: Jimmy Kimmel Obamacare vs Affordable Care Act

So how do televised food commercials work to change children’s preferences? The second study examined 23 children aged 8-14 years with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they were making food choices.  Children assessed 60 food items. Key finding: After commercials, children placed significantly more importance on taste of these food items.  “The ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a reward valuation brain region, showed increased activity during food choices after watching food commercials compared with after watching nonfood commericals.”

My take: Watching food commercials probably increases the likelihood of consumption of a less healthy diet.

Related blog posts:

• How to Improve Food Selection at Schools | gutsandgrowth
• Lunchroom Makeover | gutsandgrowth
• Eliminating sweetened beverages to help obesity | gutsandgrowth
• Will salt intake make you fat? | gutsandgrowth
• Sweetened Beverages -A Big Problem for Little Kids | gutsandgrowth

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