Kids' food choices influenced heavily by advertisements
Kids’ food choices influenced heavily by advertisements
Consumer Affairs
Christopher Maynard
A new study conducted by the University of Kansas Medical Center and University of Missouri-Kansas City has found that children’s food choices are influenced greatly by what they see on TV. In fact, the researchers say that advertising can actually alter children’s brain activity.
“Food marketing may systematically alter the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of children’s food choices,” said senior researcher Dr. Amanda Bruce.
The results of the study show just how much influence advertisers have over our children’s food choices. These professionals spend nearly $2 billion annually to create ads targeting children and adolescents, and experts say that young people view anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000 ads per year related to food products.