UO study says parents should use a 'first language' of food with their kids

Children who easily match various foods correctly with their brands likely have tastes that prefer sugar, salt and fat, and they are more likely to have higher body mass indexes, according to new research led by the UO's T. Bettina Cornwell.

The findings, appearing in the journal Appetite, should catch the eyes of parents and caregivers, said Cornwell, the Edwin E. and June Woldt Cone Professor of Marketing in the Lundquist College of Business. She and co-author Anna McAlister of Michigan State University suggest that children should be introduced to healthy foods much like they are taught their first language.

The full story is at "UO researcher finds that kids who know fast-food brands weigh more."

- by Jim Barlow, Public Affairs Communications