Fast Food Chains Target Babies: Study

All told, this typical Wendy's kids' meal (fries not pictured) delivers up to 1,260 calories, 42 grams of total fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, and 1,990 mg of sodium--and that's with the orange slices.

/ Wendy's

(CBS) Kids like junk food, in spite of how bad it is for them. Places like McDonalds, Taco Bell and Burger King know that, perhaps all too well. These days, Children as young as age 2 are seeing more fast food ads than ever before, and restaurants rarely offer parents the healthy kids' meal choices, The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity reports in a study released Monday.

In what is billed as the most comprehensive study of fast food nutrition and marketing ever conducted on the nation's 12 largest fast food chains, researchers examined the calories, fat, sugar, and sodium in more than 3,000 kids' meal combinations and 2,781 menu items. They also looked at how the $4.2 billion spent on advertising by these companies in 2009.

The results are disturbing. Out of 3,039 possible kids' meal combinations, only 12 meet the researchers' nutrition criteria for preschoolers. Only 15 meet nutrition criteria for older children. Teens ages 13-17 purchase 800-1,100 calories in an average fast food meal, roughly half of their recommended total daily calories.

Subway and Burger King offered the ten best kids meal options, with Subway's Veggie Delite Sandwich on Wheat Bread with apple slices and apple juice coming in at a scant 285 calories. McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, KFC, Sonic, and, yes, Burger King too, all offered the worst kids meals, each having an option at over 750 calories. The worst kids meal offering, the study found, is a Dairy Queen Original Cheeseburger with French Fries, Mountain Dew and a Chocolate Dilly Bar, all of which comes in at a whopping 973 calories.

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The way in which kids are offered fast food does not help, either. The study reports that most fast food restaurants have at least one healthy side dish and beverage option for a kids' meal, but the healthy options are rarely offered as the default. For example, even though McDonald's and Burger King show only healthy sides and beverages in child-targeted advertising, the restaurants automatically serve french fries with kids' meals at least 86 percent of the time, and soft drinks at least 55 percent of the time.

Additionally, relentless marketing to kids has paid off for the companies, the study reports. Forty percent of children ages 2-11 ask their parents to go to McDonald's at least once a week, and 15% of preschoolers ask to go every day. 84 percent of parents report taking their child ages 2-11 to a fast food restaurant at least once in the past week.

Fast food chains also target Hispanic and African-American kids. Hispanic preschoolers see 290 Spanish-language fast food TV ads each year. African American children and teens see at least 50 percent more fast food ads than their white peers. McDonald's and KFC, in particular, specifically target African American youth with TV advertising, targeted websites, and banner ads.

"Our results show that the fast food industry's promises to market less unhealthy food to young people are not enough," said study co-author Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., director and co-founder of the Rudd Center, in a press release. "If they truly wish to be considered partners in public health, fast food restaurants need to drastically reduce the total amount of marketing that children and teens see for fast food and the iconic brands that sell it."

13 Photos

Kids' Meal Shockers: Look Out!

[staticlean]

So, where is the actual link that Fast Food is the cause of childhood obesity? Eating fast food once a week is not going to make you fat.

People assume that everyone is eating fast food all the time. Your "most comprehensive study of fast food nutrition and marketing" only shows that advertising gets people in the door once a week and the food is not nutritious. Where's the link to childhood obesity?

[TerrytheT]

Did you know that you don't have to buy the meal to get the toy? When my Daughter was younger I would by her a side salad and a toy. It cost me anywhere from $.75 to $1.50 extra for the toy.

Some childhood obesity isn't caused by what they eat, it can be genetic. My Daughter can't digest the lactic acid in dairy products but I have been told by many people in the medical field that she "should" be able to digest what she makes when she exercises. She started to become obese when she started to swim on the local swim team and continued to stay obese during her years of school. She would lose weight during the summer when she stayed at home and read books, played video games and was on her computer. Since she is done with school and the manditory exercise she has stayed the same weight. Yes, She is concidered obese but she has been checked repeatitly and has low cholesterol, low blood pressure, good blood sugar and no thyroid problems and is in very good health.

So don't go blaming the fast food chains or any other food products or stationary entertainment, maybe better healthcare would be better. Atleast a study on wheither those who have problems with lactic acid can digest what they produce when they exercise.

[prjrrr]

Why don't they put the "prizes" in a healthy happy meal only? That way the kids would choose the healthy happy meal over the unhealthy one because it has the prize in it.

[prjrrr]

Why don't they put the "prizes" in a healthy happy meal only? That way the kids would choose the healthy happy meal over the unhealthy one because it has the prize in it.

[chloevonbaum]

Parents are abrogating their obligation to parent. It is their responsibility to teach their children what is healthy to eat and to teach their children that exercise is vital. The fast food industry is poisoning us, but we are accepting the poison.

[promixjp]

LEAVE THOSE FOOD CHAINS ALONE, LOOK IT`S A ONCE IN A WHILE NIGHT OUT IN OUR FAMILY AND FOR ALMOST ALL FAMILIES, YOU ARE TRYING TO SCARE EVERY BODY OUT THERE, WHEN IN FACT PARENTS TAKE THERE KIDS FOR A HAPPY MEAL AND WHAT EVER ELSE ONCE IN A BLUE MOON,NOT AN EVERY DAY THING, SO DON`T MAKE A MOUNTAIN OUT OF A MOLE HILL.

[fififi1]

OMG! On the news, did I hear correctly, that some want the government to get involved in the fast food sales?? Isn't the government involved in enough of our lives?? The problem with fast food locales is NOT the items sold there, it's the parents of the children! Come on, if the parents had more home life and not eat so often at these places would the problem be as bad? No. One can eat at a respectible resturant and you never know if the kitchen help has spit or even urinated in the food you order. You take a chance ANY time you eat out. Get real folks, take responsibility for YOUR actions.

[irisfly]

Why is the health of the nation's children the responsibility of the fast food chains? Fast food should be a treat, not an everyday occurrence- parents are completely at fault for not telling their children "no"!