Annotated Bibliography 1-3 and Personal Anecdote

Annotated Bibliography:

Matheson, Donna, and Robinson, Thomas. “Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences.” Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 161.8 (2007): 792-797 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 3 March 2007. American Medical Association. 15 March 2009 .
This article presents the data collected during a study where children, aged 3 to 5, were asked to compare the taste of two identical pieces of food; the only difference between the foods was the packaging (i.e. one was packaged in McDonald's packing, one in neutral packaging).
I found this article to be informative and interesting to read. The information, while presented in an academic language, was understandable and clearly presented. Unlike the article by Powell, the organization was logical and the text was coherent. Combined with the charts and tables, the text presented a clear and comprehensive overview of the results of this study.
The only weakness of this article is that it does include a significant amount of statistical information, which may be difficult to understand for those who have not taken a basic statistics course. That being said, for those who have taken such a course, the provided statistical information greatly adds to the article.
One of the greatest strengths of this article is that it draws far-reaching conclusions from the data gathered. For example, on page 5, the authors suggest that instituting brand recognition (a child's ability to recognize and desire a familiar brand) geared towards healthy foods might be effective in reducing the number of overweight and obese children in the US.

Powell, Lisa M. “Exposure to Food Advertising on Television Among US Children.” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 161.6 (2007): 553-560. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 14 Dec. 2006. American Medical Association. 15 March 2009 .
This article examines the amount of advertising that US children are exposed to today, as compare to children's exposure rates over the past 35 years.
While the information presented in this article was interesting, I found the presentation to be confusing, and sometimes contradictory. The graphs and tables were very helpful in understanding the data collected; however, the textual presentation of the data was poorly organized, and presented in a disjointed manner that made following the results difficult. The author's academic background shows clearly in the scientific presentation of the article; while this promotes a feeling of reliability and trustworthiness, it makes reading the article difficult for those outside the field.
One of the strengths of this article was the author's use of previous, related studies as a source of data. These studies are presented and adequately explained in Table 3 (p. 4); once again, however, the textual explanation of the studies was very confusing.
Overall, I found that the poor presentation and organization found in this article significantly detracts from the information presented. If it had been better organized, this article would have been much more useful, and enjoyable to read.

Story, Mary, and French, Simone. “Food Advertising and Marketing Directed at Children and Adolescents in the US.” International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 1.3 (2004) BioMed Central Ltd. 10 Feb. 2004. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 15 March 2009. .
This article examines the various forms of food advertising and marketing aimed at children, including television advertising, in-school marketing (both direct and indirect), product placements, kids' clubs, the Internet, toys and products with brand logos, and youth-targeted promotions.
I found this article to be very informative. The information is presented clearly and concisely, and is drawn from a number of reliable sources, such as the World Health Organization and the US General Accounting Office. It paints a comprehensive picture of the various forms of advertising, the possible effects of advertising directed at children, and recommendations to reduce said effects. The authors' use of international and local data provide a thorough coverage of the topic, and highlight many of the ineffective practices used in the US to regulate child-directed advertising.
The only weakness that I noted in this article is the placement of tables. They were often placed in such a way that they were out of context, and interrupted the flow of the article. They would have been far more effective if they had been better positioned. However, the tables included in the article did provide useful information that would otherwise have overburdened the actual text.


Personal Anecdote:


One of my first memories of fast food is from early in my childhood. My father wanted to go to Burger King that day, instead of our usual McDonald's. I made my objections known by throwing a screaming fit; after all, if it wasn't McDonald's, it couldn't be good! I can still remember how mad I was, both at the proposed change in eating venue, and at the grounding I got for my temper tantrum. My belief at this young age that McDonald's had the best food can be attributed to something called “branding.” “Branding” is discussed by Robinson and Matheson in their article “Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences”; they found that “By two years of age, children may have beliefs about specific brands, and 2- to 6-year-olds can recognize familiar brand names, packaging, logos, and characters and associate them with products... awareness and recognition translate into product requests, begging and nagging for specific product names and brands.” (Matheson and Robinson, p. 1). “Branding” is a powerful influence on children's food preferences.

Works Cited:
Matheson, Donna, and Robinson, Thomas. “Effects of Fast Food Branding on Young Children's Taste Preferences.” Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 161.8 (2007): 792-797 Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 3 March 2007. American Medical Association. 15 March 2009 .