Clin Pediatr | Volume 2, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access

Food Consumption in Popular Children’s TV Shows and Food Choice Awareness of Pediatric Viewers

Ruth Milanaik*, Prithwijit Das, Jay Shah, Kate Fruitman, Jonathan Goldman, Nikita Sood and Meng’ou Zhua

Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, USA

*Correspondance to: Ruth Milanaik 

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Abstract

Background: Evidence linking television viewing to childhood obesity has been extensive. Our objective was to examine the content of popular children’s programming and document the food choices made by on-screen characters and the potential influences of these choices on young children.
Methods: Research personnel evaluated depictions of food consumption in 60 episodes of popular children's shows. Parents of children aged 3-10 years completed a survey by asking their children about their favorite television characters’ food choices and the rationale behind these choices. Children were classified into four BMI subgroups, and the food choices of the characters named by survey participants were compared by thematic analysis.
Results: A total of 91.7% of episodes depicted food consumption. Of these, 59.3% were classified as “junk foods”. Parents (n=626) reported that their children recalled their favorite characters’ food preferences 95% of the time. Of those preferences, 46% were considered “junk foods”, with the predominant child-identified rationale behind character food consumption being “because they like it” (53%). While 21.9% of parents of healthy weight children reported that their child recognized characters who favored desserts/treats, this percentage was significantly greater among underweight (28.4%, p=0.037), overweight (30.3%, p=0.033), and obese children (28.2%, p=0.012).
Conclusion: Most of the food instances depicted on the television programs examined were considered “unhealthy.” The overwhelming majority of parents reported that their child watched and remembered portrayals of food consumption. Children with higher BMIs noticed according to their parents’ reporting unhealthy food instances at a higher rate. Addressing unhealthy food choices made by characters on popular children’s television is essential to promoting healthier food choices among young children.

Citation:

Milanaik R, Das P, Shah J, Fruitman K, Goldman J, Sood N, et al. Food Consumption in Popular Children’s TV Shows and Food Choice Awareness of Pediatric Viewers. Clin Pediatri. 2019; 2: 1010.

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