From the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics: A study entitled the "Influence of Licensed Characters on Children's Taste and Snack Preference" confirmed that 4 to 6 year olds will "usually reach for snacks that feature characters they know. They even say those snacks taste better." One mom heads to the refrigerator when her daughter says, "I want Dora!" because she knows her daughter is asking for yogurt—which features Dora the Explorer on the package—not a TV show. Of course the study does recommend character licensing be restricted when it comes to junk food. (Maybe parents should do the restricting?) In one example, researchers at Sesame Workshop put Elmo stickers on packages of broccoli. They served the stickered broccoli to kids along side chocolate bars. The result: Before the addition of the Elmo sticker, 78% of kids chose the chocolate. But with Elmo on the broccoli, half the kids chose the broccoli over the chocolate.
Source: www.tuscaloosanews.com
