Junk food TV ads make children hungry and tempted, charity finds
Junk food TV ads make children hungry and tempted, charity finds
The Guardian
Sarah Boseley
Children find junk-food advertising funny and tempting to the extent that one boy told interviewers he could “lick the screen”, according to research by a health charity.
A qualitative survey carried out by Cancer Research UK suggests that entertaining TV adverts for sweets, crisps and fast food have a real impact on primary school children, reinforcing the calls by health organisations for tougher advertising curbs in the forthcoming government childhood obesity strategy.
Many of the children said they enjoyed watching engaging adverts and could recall advertising theme tunes. The researchers say they believe that by using celebrities, bright colours and funny voices, advertisements are able to attract children and influence their eating habits.