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Children as young as 2 years of age
may be influenced in their food choices by a 30-second advertisement
they see on television.
The investigators found that a group of children aged
2 to 6 years were
more likely to choose food products that they saw advertised
compared with youngsters who had not viewed the commercials.
In fact, just one or two commercials were
enough to influence their choices.
Some researchers speculate that childhood obesity results from
children spending more time watching television than in any other
waking activity, thereby being exposed constantly to televised portrayals
of high-fat, high-energy foods.
Parents need to understand the power of
advertising on young children and limit the time they spend watching
TV.
Kids are bombarded with the same commercial over and over again.
But it doesn't take repeated exposure; the effect of advertising
can happen from just a single exposure.
Advertisements for new products were particularly influential.
In other findings, nearly two thirds of parents reported that a
television was on in their home most of the morning and 81% said
it was on most of the evening. Children were more likely to watch
TV if their parents did.
A growing body of evidence on the influence of TV viewing on children
prompted Congress to pass a law in 1990 that limited commercials
in children's programming to just over 10 minutes an hour on weekends
and 12 minutes an hour during the week.
Journal of the American Dietetic
Association January 2001; 101: 42-46
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