McMarketing

We've all seen those golden arches saying "Billions Served." I'd even venture to say that there is not one single person reading this that has never eaten at a McDonalds. Remember when you were a kid and your parents would strap you into the car and drive you to go play in the ball pit and eat a handful of chicken mcnuggets soaked through with McDonalds brand honey? Remember the TV ads with McBurgler and Grimace and Birdie and Mayor McCheese? Remember how often you begged to go to McDonalds?

Turns out McDonalds knew what they were doing, and now there is scientific proof. According to this study out of this month's Archive of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine kids can taste a difference in food presented in McDonalds packaging. The authors had 63 kids from 5 different low SES day cares to whom they provided 5 different foods, including hamburgers, french fries, and carrots, which were identical in all aspects aside from their packaging. The results of the study are probably predictable to any parent. Four out of the 5 foods tested turned out to that kids thought the McDonalds branded food tasted better. The only one that came out being even was the hamburger. They did find some influencing factors. Kids who ate at McDonalds more frequently were more likely to prefer the McDonalds packaged food. Also, kids who live in homes with increasing number of television sets are increasingly more likely to prefer McDonalds wrapped foods.

So I guess the lessons learend here are that you should 1 - let your kids eat less at McDonalds 2 - get rid multiple television sets and 3 - if you want your kid to eat carrots, put them in a McDonalds french fry box.