Kids, TV, and Obesity

"We like to think that SpongeBob SquarePants and Shrek and the pretty little princesses are likable, kid-friendly characters, but they’re being used to manipulate vulnerable children to make unhealthy choices…"

While the research focused on TV advertising, the panel noted advertising is one facet of a marketing environment vastly different from the 1970s. It now includes Internet games, cartoon character endorsements, coupons and store events, product placement in supermarkets and organized word-of-mouth campaigns.

MSNBC story concerning recent ad research that suggest modern advertising environments contribute to the ongoing epidemic of childhood obesity.