News: Watch Out, Minions – Fat Cartoon Characters Make Kids Overeat

After watching overweight cartoon characters — or even characters that only seem overweight because they're round or egg-shaped — kids may be more likely to overindulge on junk food.

In the first-of-its-kind study, 300 eight- to thirteen-year-old children in Colorado watched “ovoid” cartoon characters before taking a cookie taste test.

It was found that they consumed half as many cookies if they were exposed to healthier-looking cartoon characters, or no cartoons at all.

But if, before heading to the cookie taste test, the kids took a very short quiz on healthy behaviors, they ate a lot less junk overall. So the trick is: how do we help our kids draw upon their health knowledge before they make the decision to eat?

Someone forward you this email? No Sweat! Sign up here to get your own If you're having trouble viewing this email, click here Follow Us News: Watch Out, Minions – Fat Cartoon Characters Make Kids Overeat After watching overweight cartoon characters — or even characters that only seem overweight because they're round or egg-shaped — kids may be more likely to overindulge on junk food. In the first-of-its-kind study, 300 eight- to thirteen-year-old children in Colorado watched “ovoid” cartoon characters before taking a cookie taste test. It was found that they consumed half as many cookies if they were exposed to healthier-looking cartoon characters, or no cartoons at all. But if, before heading to the cookie taste test, the kids took a very short quiz on healthy behaviors, they ate a lot less junk overall. So the trick is: how do we help our kids draw upon their health knowledge before they make the decision to eat? Nicholas English Content Manager of About.com Health Getting Kids to Love Food That Loves Them Back    READ NOW The Best Ways for Parents to Control Childhood Obesity    READ NOW How You Really Can Change Your Child’s Taste Buds    READ NOW Are Calorie Labels Useful in Beating Childhood Obesity?    READ NOW Trending Now • 10 Handy Dandy Tips for Your Birth Control • How to Exercise With Rheumatoid Arthritis • Can Fish Oil Improve ADD Symptoms? • 6 Red Flags You’ve Been Misdiagnosed • How to Afford Breast Cancer • The Complete Guide to Managing and Preventing Hair Loss • The Tricks to a Happy Menopause Advertisement About Health  |  Follow Us You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 © 2015 About.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.