Survey: Cartoon characters fuel obesity

CHILDREN are being lured into unhealthy diets by cartoon characters like Tony the Tiger and the Dairylea Cow.

A report by Which?, an independent product testing and campaigning charity, believes cartoons used to promote unhealthy foods are fuelling the childhood obesity crisis.

The group wants characters such as Coco the Monkey to advertise healthier foods instead.

Of the 19 cartoon characters identified in supermarkets by Which?, none marketed healthy food.

Kraft’s Moo, the Dairylea cow, was the worst offender because of the high fat and salt content of the cheese products.

Other main cartoon offenders include Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger because Frosties are one-third sugar.

Which? Food campaigner Clare Corbett said food companies must play their part in the fight against childhood obesity and diet-related disease by acting responsibly.

“Going back to the drawing board and closing the cartoon loophole in their self-regulatory codes is a vital step in tackling this complex issue,” Ms Corbett said.

And, she said, if the industry fails to act, the Government must step in.

“Cartoons are great fun for kids. We definitely don’t want to see the end of popular characters like Tony the Tiger and the Honey Monster, but we do want to seek them promoting healthier products,” she said.

However, a Dairylea spokesperson said Which? was wrong to suggest children were getting fat because they carried Moo on Dairylea packs.

And a Kellogg’s spokesperson said the characters pre-dated the childhood obesity problem and banning characters like Tony the Tiger was not the magic bullet everyone sought.

Margot Brennan, a dietician with the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, said while cartoons could not be singled out as a cause of childhood obesity, a disproportionate amount of advertising was used to sell and advertising did have a huge impact on children’s food choices because it increased “pester power” — the ability of children to put pressure on their parents to buy them what they wanted. “You do not see the same sort of advertising for Bran Flakes, Shreddies or Weetabix and they are they type of cereals we would recommend that children eat.”

Ms Brennan agreed with Which? that the cartoon figures should be used on healthier foods.

“The 2005 National Children’s Food found that 61% of children did not have enough fibre in their diet. Breakfast can be a huge contributor to fibre and, obviously, the high fibre cereals have a huge part to play here.”