Nickelodeon Offers Food For Thought, PSAs Too

At a time when regulators, watchdogs and parents are scrutinizing food marketing aimed at kids, the nation's leading children's TV network has released research indicating American children have a great deal of autonomy in their food consumption decisions and may not be making the right decisions, especially at the beginning of their day.

The report, entitled "The Kids, Food and Eating Behaviors Study," released Wednesday by Nickelodeon, found that only half of kids age six to 14 eat breakfast each day, and only 39 percent consistently eat three square meals per day.

Interestingly, parents appear to be acquiescing nutritional decisions to their children. The study found that 74 percent of kids choose what they eat for breakfast all the time, or most of the time.

But the study found a significant disconnect between the views of kids and their parents. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of parents said their children regularly eat breakfast.

The findings are important because nutritionists and health authorities believe that children who skip meals have significantly higher body mass indexes and are more prone to obesity.

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In an effort to address these findings, Nickelodeon also announced plans to air a series of public service announcements to educate kids on the importance of eating a balanced breakfast. The first spot in the series, entitled "The Day the Earth Skipped Breakfast," focuses on how eating breakfast provides energy and fuels muscles; but skipping breakfast leads to bad temperaments and sluggish behavior. The second spot, entitled "It's Breakfast Time," animated by "Rugrats" producer Klasky Csupo, features animated utensils rhyming and singing about breakfast foods as needed sources of energy for the start of the day.

The PSA effort comes as a variety of leading children's food marketers and Time magazine announced plans for their own public service ad effort aimed at curbing childhood obesity (see related story in today's MDN). The Advertising Council will coordinate that effort.

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