An Australian study by the Food Commission (1997) reported that more than one-half of nine-to ten-year-old children believe that Ronald McDonald knows best what is good for children to eat. Is television truly this persuasive, and can it shape the eating habits of the children of an entire nation? The answer appears to be yes. Poor diet is related to a number of problems in both health and quality of life. Obesity (the prevalence of which is on the rise among children) is the most obvious, but it is only one consequence of a national diet in which food is abundant, readily available, inexpensive, and promoted very heavily.

Television viewing appears to be an important factor in keeping both children and adults from being physically active. The influence of television is especially powerful in children. Many spend long hours watching television, a setting...