Popular characters can help kids eat healthy foods too

Popular characters can help kids eat healthy foods too
Branding tactics used to sell junk food also may be used to promote better nutrition, research shows.

(HealthDay) -- Superheroes and other popular kids' characters have been used to sell junk food, candy and other sugary treats to children for decades, but new research shows they also can be used to promote healthier eating habits.

In a new study, researchers found the strategy can be used in schools to help students improve their nutrition.

"Nutritionists and school-lunch planners can turn the tables on children's poor eating habits by adopting the same 'branding' tactic used by marketers," study lead author Brian Wansink, professor of marketing at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., said in a university news release.

In conducting the study, the researchers let children choose between cookies and apples. Some children were offered plain apples and cookies. Others were told to select either cookies or Elmo apples, which had stickers of the popular Sesame Street character on them. The study found that Elmo got more kids to choose the apples over the cookies.

"Branding has tremendous potential to promote healthier eating," Wansink said. "We tend to associate mascots and characters with junk food, but they can also be used to build excitement around healthy foods. This is a powerful lesson for fast , food activists and people involved in school food service."

The study was published recently in the journal .

More information:
The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more about child nutrition.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Citation: Popular characters can help kids eat healthy foods too (2012, August 21) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-popular-characters-kids-healthy-foods.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Licensed Characters on Food Packaging Affect Kids' Taste Preferences, Snack Selections

 shares

Feedback to editors