Watching Popeye makes kids eat more vegetables
Children who enjoy Popeye cartoons generally eat more vegetables than those who don't watch the classic show, it has been found.Researchers at Mahidol University in Bangkok claim the type and amount of vegetables children eat can be directly linked to TV shows they watch.
Tests on four to five-years-olds found watching Popeye scoff spinach before beating up Bluto made kids want to eat more greens.
In fact the researchers claim the twenty six children in their study - which also saw them plant seeds and cook - doubled their vegetable intake as a result.
Next up the boffins will study the impact of watching Tom and Jerry on the level of infant frying pan attacks.
Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta, who led the research, said vegetable intake doubled and the types of vegetables the children consumed increased from two to four.
Parents also reported their children talked about vegetables more often and were proud they had eaten them in their school lunch
She added there was no significant change in the kinds of fruit eaten by the children, but this was probably because they were already eating more fruit than vegetables at the start of the study.
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Mahidol University
Parents also reported their children talked about vegetables more often and were proud they had eaten them in their school lunch
She added there was no significant change in the kinds of fruit eaten by the children, but this was probably because they were already eating more fruit than vegetables at the start of the study.
LINKS
Mahidol University
