February 2, 2013 If you think the millions that fast food
restaurants spent on commercials don’t have a profound effect on
our brains, you may be in for a surprise. It turns out their
logos are having a serious impact on the brain—in particular,
the brains of children. According to a study from the University
of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Kansas Medical
Center, children’s brains are being branded early on in
life—even before they know how to read. While we can’t blame
logos solely for the childhood obesity problem, there is little
doubt that a the association a child’s brain makes with these
logos could be having an effect on their relationship with food.
The study analyzed children’s brains when being shown food
logos. The children, ages 10 to 14, were shown 120 logos—60 of
them food-related and 60 of them non-food-related. Using MRI
technology, the researchers monitored their brains for activity.
When shown food logos, the children’s brain activity was
significantly increased compared to whe