New study shows fast food is embedded your child's brain

Are you surprised to hear that a new study just released by the University of Michigan-Kansas City indicates the powerful influence of fast food logos on children?

I am not.  This is one of dozens of studies that has shown the success of the fast food industry marketing their logos to children.  

The study placed children 10-14 years old into an MRI machine to see the brain activity when highly recognizable logos of fast food and non food items were shown to them.

What did the brain do when shown logos from fast food like McDonalds and Wendys?

The areas of the brain that deal with rewards, pleasure, appetite drive just lit up like a Christmas tree!  But when they saw non fast food/non food items their brains did not respond that way.

Children are more likely to choose the foods that have been marketed to them and that is mainly unhealthy foods. ;-(

What can we do to help kids:

limit marketing exposure through limited screen time.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 2 hours a day of screen time.

Expose them to healthy foods and be a great role model.  You are marketing to them everyday!  We are here to support you with our characters and nutrition games all devoted to promoting healthy food choices.

Talk to your children.  Help them understand that marketing can be misleading and how to choose healthy foods.

Here is an interview with the main researcher Dr. Amanda Bruce where she discusses the research, their findings and her suggestions for parents.