Rudd Center Report Claims “Advergames” Promote Unhealthy Food to Kids

Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity recently published
a study claiming that “children are disproportionately targeted by food
company Websites using branded computer games, known as advergames,”
which allegedly promote “calorie-dense nutrient-poor foods.” Jennifer Harris,
et al., “US Food Company Branded Advergames on the Internet: Children’s
exposure and effects on snack consumption,” Journal of Children and Media,
November 2011. According to the study’s abstract, Rudd Center researchers
found that 1.2 million children visit food company advergame sites every
month and that “playing these games increases children’s consumption of
junk food.”