Collectible toys 'could encourage children to eat healthily'
Monday 19th September 2011
Children could be encouraged to eat healthily if nutritious foods come with collectible toys, research has indicated.
A study published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing revealed that free toys, often given out with fast food meals, could actually be utilised to help children adjust to a healthy diet.
It was found that children aged two to five could be influenced to choose a healthy food choice when a toy is seen as one that is missing from their collectibles set.
Furthermore, while 92 per cent of parents surveyed were against the giving out of toys in conjunction with unhealthy meals, 73 per cent said they could accept the measure if it was tied to a healthy option.
T Bettina Cornwell of the University of Oregon commented: "The study tells us that the inclusion of a collectible toy influences the children's perceptions of how the food is going to taste, and whether they will like it."
"What was interesting to us - even more than we expected - was that the presence of the collectible toy moved the healthier food option up to the point that it was just as likable as the fast-food offering."
In the first section of the two-part study, 85 children were shown cards which depicted foods not associated with any particular restaurant.
Six experimental meals combinations included a heavily topped pizza, fries and fizzy drink which was paired with either no toy, a 'non-collectible' toy truck, or a previously defined collectible monster.
Other cards featured soup, vegetables and milk with the same three types of toys.
The meals paired with the trucks and monsters were seen to be the most popular among girls and boys.
Authors believe that as the child learned specific meals would contain a collectible toy, the anticipated taste and likeability of the food increased.
When no-toy meals were shown, children were seen to prefer the fast food offering.
Written by Angela Newbury
Related articles
Link between obesity and diabetes could lead to...
A new hormone could be the answer that doctors and those in a dietician job could be looking for in the fight against diabetes. ...
Monday 21st May 2012
Hot sauce ingredients could be key in weight loss...
Many people are looking to shift their "beer bellies" and try a number of various methods of dropping the excess pounds...
Wednesday 16th May 2012
Hair loss could be caused by crash dieting
Crash dieting is one of the most common reasons behind people losing their hair, according to the head of the Institute of...
Tuesday 15th May 2012
Related Dietetics Jobs
Dietetics Job Opportunities within the South east Coast.Register your interest in Mediplacements for the latest locum Dietetics...
Full infoBand 6 Dietitian with Acute Adult Experience for a 2 week locum job based in the South East Coast. We are currently recruiting...
Full infoWe are currently recruiting for experienced Dietitians for both locum and permanent vacancies across the East Midlands; Derby,...
Full info