Fat Cartoon Characters Urge Kids to Eat More: Study

A new study claims that letting kids watch overweight cartoons will cause them to eat more unhealthy high-calorie foods.

The study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests that children who watched TV shows with plump cartoon characters such as Homer Simpson, Peppa Pig, Patrick Star, Fat Albert and Yogi Bear just to name a few, are more likely to overeat than those who watched cartoon characters with normal body weight.

According to the researchers, youngsters tend to associate egg-shaped characters as plump or overweight.

"Because research like this is new—looking at kids and stereotyping particularly of cartoon characters—we weren't sure whether kids would be aware of bodyweight norms," Margaret C. Campbell, lead author of the study and marketing professor at CU-Boulder's Leeds School of Business, said via Science Daily. "But surprisingly, they apply typically human standards to cartoon creatures—creatures for which there isn't a real baseline."

For the study, the researchers asked 300 children aged 8 to 13 to watch cartoons with normal weight and overweight characters. Then they gave them unhealthy foods that are low in nutrients but high in energy.

Medical Daily reports that when the kids watched the fat cartoon characters, the kids overindulged in the provided junk food.

"They have a tendency to eat almost twice as much indulgent food as kids who are exposed to perceived healthier-looking cartoon characters or no characters at all," said Campbell.

In another scenario, kids were presented with six pairs of pictures and words and they were instructed to choose the healthier food or activity, when presented with healthier options, the kids ate less cookies and candies. 

According to Prof Campbell, the new study could be used to probe into the possibility of getting kids to choose healthier foods. The question would be how to "trigger their health knowledge" when they're about to select food to eat.

Additionally, Prof Campbell is clamoring for more health-conscious looking cartoon characters on television shows. She adds that companies should be more aware that marketing plump or overweight cartoon characters could have an impact on the health of children. She said the same with parents exposing their children to these types of cartoons as well.

"I think it is important for parents to know they should think about the way they might be associating food with fun for kids—in the form of exposure to cartoon characters, for instance—as opposed to associating food with nutrition and the family structure," said Campbell.