As a concerned parent, you are probably quite vigilant about watching what your children eat, and it’s good that you’re concerned about that. However, if you want to go the extra mile, then you should also be aware of the kinds of things that could be driving your child’s urge to eat those unhealthy foods. In the tradition of the snack food industry, executives love to advertise their products directly to children who can then ask their parents to add the foods to their shopping list.

In fact, just last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report concerning these very advertisements. Within the context of the study, the researchers logged over 1600 hours of children’s television that was shown on thirteen different channels (including both broadcast and cable favorites) during 2005 and 2006. Then, the scientists classified the programming by determining which one of three age groups it was intended for. Next, the scientists were able to identify almost 9000 food and drinks ads (including PSAs) that were targeted directly at children. Through these methods, the scientists determined that, in total, kids ages 2 to 7 watched an average of 12 food ads per day, children ages 8 to 12 years saw an average of 21 ads per day, and teens logged around 17 ads per day. It doesn’t take a mathematician to quickly realize that this adds up to many, many hours of food advertising over the course of a year, all of it directed towards children.

To no one’s surprise, the study also indicated that very few of these advertisements were intended to encourage children to eat fruits, veggies, and other healthy foods. In fact, almost a third of these ads were for candies and unhealthy snack foods, another third was dedicated to promoting sugary cereals, and about ten percent of surveyed food ads were for fast food restaurants. For the sake of comparison, it’s worth noting that the air time for fruits, vegetables, and dairy products were all in the single digits percentage-wise. That said, unless you plan on keeping your child locked inside of your house for the rest of his or her life, then there’s not much that you can do to keep your kid from seeing at least a few of these commercials every now and then.

However, it is also worth noting that just because your child watches the ad doesn’t mean that he or she has to become totally subject to its influence. As a parent, there are many things that you can do to counteract the influence of these ads. Start by inviting your child into the kitchen to help you plan out and prepare family meals. Teach him or her the value of a well-balanced diet and how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your family’s mealtime. Prepare healthy snack foods for your children, and try to resist the temptation of quick and easy junk food. Finally, encourage your kids to keep up their healthy habits even when they are away from home by choosing snacks from YoNaturals health food vending machines. As a parent, you may not be able to stop the ads, but you can certainly try to counteract the influence. Do it both for their health and your own peace of mind.