Advergames the new persuasvie marketing for kids

Previous studies have focused on the effects of television advertising on the energy intake of children. However, the rapidly changing food-marketing landscape requires research to measure the effects of nontraditional forms of marketing on the health-related behaviors of children. The main aim of a December American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study was to examine the effect of advergames that promote energy-dense snacks (i.e. junk food) or fruit on children's snack and fruit consumption and to examine whether this consumption differed according to brand and product type. The second aim was to examine whether advergames can stimulate fruit intake. 

The main finding was that playing an advergame containing food cues increased the general energy intake, regardless of the advertised brand or product type, and this activity particularly increased the intake of energy-dense snack foods (junk food). Children who played the fruit version of the advergame did not eat significantly more fruit than did those in the other groups. The findings suggest that playing advergames that promote food, including either high energy-dense snacks or fruit, increases the energy intake in children.

Steve: This is going to be the next major issue between public health advocates and Big Food.