Scooby-Doo To Blame For Childhood Obesity?
There are literally a hundred or more things to blame for childhood obesity and the latest target is packaging on some products. Many companies use popular cartoon characters to attract a child’s eye, and it is very effective. Children see their favorite character and assume the product must be good. In fact, a recent study proves the marketing tactic is very effective.
The study was conducted by researchers from Yale University. Researchers asked 40 children between the ages of 4 and 6 to taste three different types of snacks. Graham crackers, sugary gummy bears, and baby carrots were used in the study. The children could see the packaging of the snacks that included various pictures of favorite cartoon characters or plain generic packaging. Scooby-Doo, Dora the Explorer and Spongebob Squarepants were used in the study. 85 percent of the children chose the packages with a cartoon character. 55 percent of the children stated the graham cracker snack in the cartoon packaging tasted better than the other plain package. Unfortunately, carrots did not fare so well when packaged with one of the characters. However, about half of the children did believe they tasted a little better.
This research has led many childhood obesity advocates to call for a restriction on using these cartoon characters to market junk food to children. The advocates are all for using the characters on healthy food packages as a way to encourage children to select those foods over fattening and unhealthy junk food snacks. The study has been published in the July edition of Pediatrics. 
No, parents are to blame for childhood obesity …