By Emily Steves
Unfortunately, obesity in children is a very real problem in the UK at the moment. This is an issue that has been extensively documented on television as of late. More and more parents are becoming concerned about their child’s eating habits. There has also been several health critics who believe as a nation people are not aware of what they are really eating. This is a problem, and it is a problem that needs to be tackled.
However, people are scared because they only see drastic measures as a solution. Furthermore, a lot of parents have not got a clue regarding where to start when it comes to deciphering what their child should be eating and what they should not. This is through no fault of their own, yet merely a signal of how difficult this is for most families. Nevertheless, there are some innovative solutions that can be used. These solutions may not be elaborate, yet they are effective. And one of these is to use cartoon advertising in order to help tackle obesity in children.
Children are more likely to listen to cartoons
Imagine the following two scenarios. Scenario one revolves around an advertisement whereby an adult is merely telling children they need to eat better food. Scenario two revolves around a popular cartoon show, such as the Tom and Jerry cartoon, whereby the main characters express the importance of being healthy. Who is the child most likely to listen to? In 99% of instances you could bet your bottom dollar that kids are more likely to take notice of Tom and Jerry. This is because they view the cartoon characters as fun and exciting. They will think; well if it is good enough for Tom and Jerry then it definitely is for me. However, if you are to go for the adult option then children may view healthy eating as a chore; this is because most children see anything their parents ask them to do is a task.
The cartoons themselves can help tackle obesity
A lot of people fail to acknowledge the positive messages showcased within these cartoons that relate to healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. For example, in the Tom and Jerry cartoon you see just how much exercise the cat and the mouse get! This is of course not the main message behind the story, yet it indirectly promotes a healthy lifestyle within your child. There are more examples of this. For instance, there is Scooby Doo whereby the dog gets several treats known as Scooby snacks if he does well. This establishes the notion that treats are allowed, yet they are only allowed in moderation.
People view cartoons as fun, and therefore healthy eating will be fun too
Why do children like cartoons? The answer to this is rather simple; because they are fun. Therefore, if your child comes across a cartoon advertisement then they are also going to deem this as fun and exciting. This presents a fantastic basis for commercials because children are likely to be associated the advertisement with enjoyment. This means that you have a much higher chance of children wanting to eat healthily.
In the current day and age it can be very difficult to tackle obesity in young children. Nevertheless the combination of cartoons and strategic advertising can actually provide fantastic results.
– Emily Steves is a freelance writer and contributor associated with Cartoon Network. She is an expertize in writing articles about kids and their activities. She has written various articles on kids and cartoons such us Batman as well as Tom and Jerry for various children’s blogs.