Let Ronald sell the good stuff

Opinion

August 29, 2007

The Daily Reord The Daily Southerner Wed Aug 29, 2007, 10:28 AM EDT

Dunn — There's new evidence that children are heavily influenced by marketing. Specifically, fast-food marketing. And that has some people worried.

A new study found that kids even like carrots, milk and apple juice better if wrapped in McDonald's packaging. Children participating in the study tasted identical McDonald's foods in name-brand and unmarked wrappers. The marked foods always won out.

"You see a McDonald's label and kids start salivating," said Diane Levin, a childhood development specialist, as quoted by The Associated Press. . Levin had no role in the research.

She said it was "the first study I know of that has shown so simply and clearly what's going on with (marketing to) young children."

In the study, McDonald's-labeled foods were the far-and-away favorites over "generic" samples of the same foods. Almost 77 percent of the kids preferred Ronald McDonald's french fries over the same fries without the Golden Arched logo. Fifty-four percent preferred McDonald's-wrapped carrots versus 23 percent who liked the unmarked sample.

The study's author, Dr. Tom Robinson of Stanford University, said the kids' perception of taste was "physically altered by the branding."

The Stanford University researcher said it was remarkable how children so young were already so influenced by advertising.

The study comes less than a month after 11 major food and drink companies, including McDonald's, announced new self-imposed restrictions on marketing to children under 12.

McDonald's, for example, says the only Happy Meals it will promote to young children will contain fruit and have fewer calories and less fat. That seems to be a move in the right direction. Instead of imposing constitutionally questionable restrictions on advertising - which some food police advocate - let's encourage the food companies with the most powerful brands to market healthy foods to our youngsters.

Fruit is always better for them than fries. Grilled chicken is healthier than hamburgers.

And don't forget, parents have the largest role to play in getting young people to enjoy a healthy diet.

This is an area where government dictates won't - and shouldn't be allow to - work. Especially when parents already have the power to limit food marketing to their children.

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