Cartoon Characters Sell Kids on Unhealthy Foods

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Last year, after a brief scare with Type-1 diabetes, I conducted extensive research about the rise of the disease.
I am an Instructional Designer/Flash Programmer by profession. I created a children's book called Run Tippy Run to start addressing the diabetes issues suddenly plaguing our children. Kids can read this book free online at...www.daystarbooks.com
Help our children draw their future without diabetes:
The Purpose of this book, Is Prevention: This series of Run Tippy Run - Draw Me Healthy publications, will attempt to introduce a green diet concept to young children. By illustrating a
direct link to food and health, we induce kids to question their diet choices & food sources.

Ike Austin of MI 2:33PM August 05, 2010

You may recall Popeye cartoons and the standard plot device when Popeye cranks open a can of spinach, finishes its contents in a single gulp, and instantly grows muscles of steel. This worked for my mother's generation. Because of Popeye cartoons in the movie theatres, moms like my grandmother had a much easier time getting at least spinach into her daughter. But this nutritional success story was due to example. It worked with any can of spinach, not just the "Popeye" brand. Considering the times, when out-of-season vegetables were available only in cans, this was a huge victory for juvenile nutrition.
Please keep in mind before you start packaging up carrots with Scooby Doo on the plastic package, how the product was grown. Think this all the way through. Is this produce out of season, shipped green across the United States in diesel guzzling trucks, then stored in the super's ware house for ten days before it makes it to the local stores produce section? If they are not at least (truly) organically grown carrots or grapes or apples (and even better if locally grown), you may be filling children with a lot of pesticides -- some of which have been linked by scientifc study (Harvard 2010) to rises in ADHD and other nervous disorders in children.
How about if Scooby Doo meets Shrek at the farmers market in animated PSA's and stocks up his re-usable canvas bags with local, seasonal vegetables, fresh fruit, pasture-raised dairy and meat products.
What if we see Dora starting each day with a bowl of yummy, hot oatmeal and fresh milk from grass finished cows.
Maybe kids would be whining to mom that they want to go to see the cows and other animals at the dairy farm where they go for fresh, sweet milk instead crying when they pass a McDonalds.
That is what we should strive toward in child nutrition and nothing less. Good food does not come in packages, it comes from a field the day before you eat it.

SG Grant of ME 12:50AM June 30, 2010

My thoughts are to develop a character which promotes only positive things, healthy foods, fitness etc. A sort of social messaging character. With that said check out Rodney Raccoon and his new fitness health and nutrition DVD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf-arEWLaig
To learn more about Rodney Raccoon visit
www.rodneyraccoon.com

JD of WA 11:53AM June 27, 2010

In my opinion, the choice could be because of several things.
1.Good things happen to the characters, or they are humorous. one may accomplish a goal while another may make you laugh. these both are in themselves good things. I'm not saying its not because these figures are not familiar to them, I'm saying that there could be more than that. although assuming these toddlers don't have adult train of thought(obviously) they may want to eat star wars brand food because they think it's cool(or they could even look up to these fictional characters because they may not understand the difference between fiction and reality. also if something is in the media often enough, it becomes cliche. like kids not liking vegetables, although the choice may be that they prefer a food because of its higher sugar content. believe me, if subs were healthy I would be eating one every day. I remember taking a advertising class and in logo design, they even showed us how to make logos so the human eye would "travel" it in a certain path. in other words, this advertising is just psychology, and science.

a mon avis 10:38PM June 26, 2010

I'm sorry to offend some, but we have - at least so far, a free country, where the marketplace provides numerous choices. It is up to parents to teach their children the choices that they prefer. This is not a concern of government.

JR Gordon of FL 6:38PM June 23, 2010

First, the reason any country has a democratically representative republic (true democracies do not exist) is because human nature (read: greed) prevents superior systems of government from succeeding (see: communism). Perhaps this is a discussion for another time though.
Second, the people who are "poison[ing] our kids" are the parents purchasing and feeding said kids. If these "free-marketers" were actively purchasing and force-feeding children these products, your point would be valid, as opposed to just wrong.

Disappointed of MA 9:27AM June 22, 2010

The reason you have democratic government in the first place is to defend the common good, not to defend the right of free-marketers to poison our kids.

Hilary of CA 3:50PM June 21, 2010

really? we need a study to tell us that advertisers are using cartoon characters to sell junk food? hhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelllllloooooooooooooooooo
are you people on drugs? whats surprising about this? they use dan marino to sell nutri system to fat middle aged guys. i'm pretty sure marketing professionals have an acronym for this because it's a common practice.

tiff davis of CO 3:19PM June 21, 2010

This article can be summarized with the following exclaimations: "No way! Marketing works?!" Did anyone question that children would subjectively prefer foods with their favorite cartoon characters printed on them before this study was run?
In response to T D of MO:
I applaud you, sir/madam. Your third paragraph states a smart and (some would say) obvious way to take advantage of this information. It also explicates the point so thick-headedly ignored by the majority of the commenters, as well as the article's author: the parents are in control of what the children eat.
In response to Jay M of MO:
You are precisely the type of person this article is geared toward. An unintelligent, overreative individual with piss-poor inductive skills (see: your second paragraph). With regard to your so-called "tips":
1. You so callously ignore the fact that many people (and many people's neighbors, mothers) do not have the money to have a well stocked kitchen, filled with the latest and greatest food processors, ovens, microwaves, refrigerators. Perhaps the poor can do without nutrition?
2. Do you recognize any of the following ingredients: choline, bioflavonoids, quercetin, biotin? I cannot say that you cannot, but I certainly can say that I would not have. Those are all absolutely necessary vitamins/minerals for the human body, but your advice would have anyone but nutritionists/dietitians refusing to eat these.
3. Falls to the same ignorance as your first.
4. A good tip.
In response to Concerned Dad:
Your first paragraph revels at how "dead-on" this article is, then you proceed (in your fourth paragraph) to directly contradict the findings of the study. If your three year old daughter will choose the unhealthy, yet pleasantly branded food over healthy alternatives, choose not to purchase them for her. I assure you, though she may complain now, she will thank you as soon as she gains proper decision-making skills (hopefully from her mother's side).
Jay M and Concerned Dad are quintessential examples of why this marketing works: the former, an over-reactionary, the latter, apparently too weak to say no to his child. I weep for the future, and pray that more Jay M's exist than are evidenced by those who commented on this article.

Disappointed of MA 2:41PM June 21, 2010

The Obama guy's science czar John Holdren says that the population needs to be reduced by 90 percent. I think it's great these children eat their corporate junk food.Our corporations are doing fantastic culling us work like Johnson and Johnson childrens products killing 30 children.They know whats important and that we won't harm our children,so they in their benevolence will do it for us out of love.
Look up Robert Thomas Malthus and you will see the dangers of over population.
Everything has soy in it these days and Bisphenol A,at least it tastes good ! Thank goodness BP is doing for us what we don't have the stomach for in the Gulf of Mexico! The soy boys are much sweeter than the boys of old,and the girls developing early find our sweet boys immature so the boys fall in love with each other! You watch and see,soon they will have the population at a manageable level.May as well let the children enjoy the multinational treats.Sit them in front of the TV and go about your business.I don't see what all the fuss is here.

pamela pestora of IL 2:08PM June 21, 2010