How Cartoons and Mascots Influence Children’s Diets

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Latino kids are often faced with more opportunities to see unhealthy food and beverage ads, leading to more risk for unhealthy diets that can lead to health risks like diabetes.

Studies have shown that mascots, cartoons, and familiar faces often influence children’s choices on food and unfortunately usually unhealthy foods.

Marketing companies have targeted kids in various ways over the years, bringing in familiar cartoon characters or brand mascots into the commercials of high fat and high sugar food products, influencing food choices.

Many companies have moved away from unhealthy food marketing to children and have joined the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), that commits companies to only market healthy products to children under 12 years of age.

However, recent research from Healthy Eating Research shows that there are still opportunities for food and beverage companies to ensure healthier foods and beverages are the only products offer to kids of all ages.

The issue brief examines the evidence on how these companies have used characters to impact children’s diet’s and health.

To read the brief, click here.