According to a new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research – funded by the National Institutes of Health – a ban on fast food advertisements to kids could cut childhood obesity by as much as 18% in ages 3-11 and 14% in ages 12-18.
But, fast food restaurants – of which many have entered voluntarily into a program which requires them to spend 50% of advertising dollars promoting healthy eating and exercise habits – say that government legislation would not make much difference, since it’s parents who choose what and where their kids eat.
The study was the first of its kind to seek out what relationship might be between fast food ads and fat kids.
Shin-Yi Chou of Lehigh University, one of the study’s authors, said, “We have known for some time that childhood obesity has gripped our culture, but little empirical research has been done that identifies television advertising as a possible cause. Hopefully, this line of research can lead to a serious discussion about the type of policies that can curb America’s obesity epidemic.”
Because fat kids turn into fat adults – and that’s not good for anyone.
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