Behavioral Evidence of the Effects of Televised Food Messages on Children

Abstract

Two weeks of daily exposure to televised food and beverage messages at a summer camp altered five- to eight-year-old children's afternoon snack choices. Children who viewed candy commercials picked significantly more candy over fruit as snacks. Eliminating the candy commercials proved as effective in encouraging the selection of fruit as did exposing the children to fruit commercials or nutritional public service announcements.