Pre-school age children who are exposed to child-targeted fast-food advertising on television are considerably more likely to consume fast-food products, according to a recent Dartmouth-led study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the greatest exposure to food advertising in the US for children aged 2-11 years comes from fast-food restaurant chains. In 2009, the fast-food industry spent more than $580 million on child-targeted marketing, with television being the predominant medium. Since this behavior is linked to larger intakes of calories, fat and sugar, fast-food consumption serves as an important risk factor for obesity and other health problems.

Poll Question:
Pre-school age children who are exposed to child-targeted fast-food advertising on television are considerably more likely to consume fast-food products. Since this behavior is linked to larger intakes of calories, fat and sugar, fast-food consumption serves as an important risk factor for obesity and other health problems.

Do you think parents should direct their child’s viewing exclusively to those channels that don’t feature fast-food advertising?

Yes
122

No
103

Not sure
19

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