Children’s eating priorities need to be changed and parental awareness need to be a primary consideration as studies show that the minds of the youth are more influenced to take in more junk food compared to healthy and whole foods.
Children’s eating priorities must improve
In a study published by the University of Kansas Medical Center, researchers documented that individual differences in brain stimulation among children through media advertising, especially with food products in relation to brands and logos.
Study author Dr. Amanda Bruce, assistant professor of behavioral pediatrics, points out that children are excessively exposed to food advertising- including junk food- and are directly influences their food choices and stimulated brain activity.
This includes the ‘wholesome’ images and youth-inspired enticing commercials that advertise these products. Marketing junk foods in this manner greatly impacts the choices of children and increases the risk of childhood obesity.
Visually attractive images on brands and logos
The study also showed that when obese children get to observe food logos and brands, they demonstrate a decreased neurofunctional reactivity in their prefrontal cortex. This is the region in the brain that is responsible for self-control.
The study, which was recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics, Bruce and her team analyzed functional magnetic resonance imaging data of children aged 8 to 14 years of age, while they were made to watch food and non-food television commercials.
“Food commercials may prompt children to consider their liking and wanting of specific food items, irrespective of the lack of any health benefits. This increased emphasis on taste may make it even more difficult for relevant caregivers to encourage healthy food choices. This evidence has implications for policies related to food advertising to children,” says Bruce.
Non – food commercials however, were found to show results that it shows less brain activity compared to those when the children were watching food commercials. This also affects the way children view food and may signal their susceptibility to prefer those food items that they are most familiar with as shown on television.
Incidence of obesity and lifestyle diseases in children
The Center for Disease Control reports that obesity among children has more than doubled and an alarming four-fold increase among adolescents in the past 30 years.
The American Heart Association, on the other hand, points out that a staggering 84% of foods that are advertised commercially fail to meet basic nutritional standards and an alarming 86 percent of these exposed to children are foods that are high in sugar, sodium and fat.
Bruce points out that their findings should concern parents and health authorities to take drastic measures to address the concern and ensure that parental guidance and intervention is a key factor in raising awareness of this rising problem with children.
The post Children’s Eating Priorities More Influenced By TV Ads appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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