Tubby Cartoon Characters Are Making Our Children Fat: Study

“University of Colorado Boulder researchers found that children consume more low-nutrition, high-calorie food such as cookies and candy after observing plump cartoon models. Investigators believe the findings show that kids are responsive to the apparent body weight of cartoon characters like the aptly named Grimace, a rotund, milkshake-loving creature created by McDonald’s restaurant in the 1970s. Children tend to perceive ovoid, or egg-shaped, characters as overweight even though the creatures are imaginary, found the study.”