Fast Food and Your Kids

I read an interesting article today that asks the question
Are Children Prey for Fast Food Companies? 


Researchers from Yale University did the largest study ever on the marketing of fast foods to kids. Not surprisingly, even though the fast food companies claim they pledge to protect children and that the industry is capable of policing itself, the study found otherwise. Results showed that the amount of marketing of fast foods to children is going up, not down, with kids seeing 3 to 5 television ads every day for fast food. And the foods that are being marketed directly at kids and teens do not meet nutritional guidelines. For instance, "only 12 of 3,039 possible kids' meal combinations meet nutrition criteria for preschoolers. Only 15 meet nutrition criteria for older children." Furthermore, "snacks and desserts often marketed directly to teens contain as many as 1,500 calories, which is five times more than the American Dietetic Association's recommendation of a 200- to 300-calorie snack for active teens."

It's easy for me, as a non-parent, to sit here and say that "If I had kids, I'd make sure they never ate fast food. I'd educate them on the harmful, cheap, disgusting ingredients and my kids would not eat that junk!" But with advertising aimed directly at kids, using psychological marketing tactics, do parents stand a chance against it? To some degree, of course they do. Little kids can't drive themselves to the local McDonald's or Burger King. So why should government get involved? Parents should be parents and just say no to their kids.

The other side says that we've waited long enough for fast food companies to police themselves, stop marketing to kids and improve the nutritional value of the menu. They say it is high time the government steps in and forces fast food companies to limit or eliminate their marketing to children. They argue that parents these days have enough to worry about without having to be the bad guy fighting against big corporations to protect their kids from sugar, salt and fat-laden food.

The only thing I know for sure is that is I had kids, I would not drive them to a fast food restaurant, no matter how much they whined. I would educate them, perhaps graphically, on all the reasons why fast food is bad for them. And then I would cross my fingers, say a prayer and fast-forward through all the fast food television commercials. Easy for me to say, right?