It is a widely known fact that children mimic what they see from the earliest of ages. The first people they come in contact with, their parents, are the first that get copied. Then they move on to the other people they meet and begin copying them out of conformism and the desire to “belong”. One of the most influential sources available today, which has been proven to be a successful manipulator, is the television. There has been a direct causality link between what advertisements people see on TV and what they buy. In children, the result is much more effective, as they react out of instinct and not out of rationality. Also, children have been known to manipulate their parents into buying them whatever they want.

The United States have been dealing with growing obesity in teenagers and young children for quite some time now, and much progress hasn’t been made so far. It’s hard to convince a child that hamburgers and chips are harmful when they are bombarded daily with ads that depict junk food as the epitome of happiness, showing slim, ecstatic teenagers sinking their pearly-white teeth into a juicy hamburger, accompanied by the ever-present French fries and soda.

A recent study concluded that advertisements on junk food are directly linked to children developing obesity, some under the age of 12. In an attempt to promote a healthy diet while still drawing customers in, fast food giants Burger King and McDonald’s have taken the advice of the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, by agreeing to advertise only their healthy products on TV.