Children link junk food with having a good time, study shows.

Goof grief!  We can't possibly allow our cheeeldren have a good time, can we?

Of course in the grey miserable world of the Puritan anything that hints at a good time must be banned.  Happiness smacks much too much of self-indulgence and is strictly verboten.

Children associate junk food with having a better time, while watching TV adverts for unhealthy food makes them feel hungry, a new report has found.

Youngsters also love watching funny and engaging adverts and are able to recall advertising theme tunes, it said.

So what's wrong with any of that?  Apart from the fact I think most advertisements for food look revolting [except maybe the ones where M & S show sticky toffee pudding] what does it matter if kids love a bit of humour or can hum a tune?

The study, for Cancer Research UK, was carried out in four primary schools in England and two in Scotland, among 137 children aged eight to 12.

Small groups were shown two adverts for foods high in fat, sugar or salt and discussions were held about them and about eating in general.

I can see the headlines already – "Major International Study" or "Extensive Research".  Two fucking adverts?  Doubtless one was for McDonalds and the other for Domino's Pizza.

The results suggest that, despite current rules saying junk food cannot be promoted during children’s TV shows, youngsters are heavily influenced by the adverts at other times of day.

Pupils watched family programmes between around 7pm and 8pm each day and also on weekends, which researchers said exposes “the loophole in the current legislation”.

Aaahhhhhh! Those bastards are sneaking adverts past the Nannies using a "loophole"?  How very dare they?

TV advertising also results in children pestering their parents that can lead to the purchase of junk food, the report said.

This is not a reflection on the cheeeldren, or the television or even the advertisers.  This is just a reflection on the parents who have to pander to the whims of their little snowflakes.  One good belt on the back of the head would sort that out for once and for all.

Some of the children in the study described unhealthy food as “addictive” while one said a TV advert for takeaway pizza made him want to “lick the screen.”

I'm a little surprised that kids that age would use a word such as addictive?  Could there be a little prompting going on here?  And as for the little fuck who wanted to lick the screen, he was just showing off in front of the class, but of course it makes a beautiful little sound-bite for the Nannies.

Others loved the fact people and characters in the adverts were having a good time.

No. no. no. no. no. Repeat after me – WE MUST NOT HAVE A GOOD TIME.

“Most kids said that adverts made them feel hungry and in many cases it had a direct effect, with some children more likely to plead, nag or beg their parents after seeing an advert.”

Kids are always hungry, but apart from that, who holds the purse strings in the household?  Who decides on purchases?  Who makes the rules in the house?  The Kids or the parents?  It's piss poor parenting that is the root of any problem, even if there were a problem in the first place. 

If you want to sort out all the problems with the cheeeldren then take it out on those parents who are apparently incapable of saying no to their little brats.  But then in a world where the state tells the parents what to do, what to eat or what to drink then it's no wonder they feel out of control, even of their own kids.

“The rise in children’s obesity is a huge concern and a growing epidemic. There must be no delay in taking action. We know that obese children are around five times more likely to be obese adults, and obese adults are more likely to develop cancer.”

Oh do go fuck yourselves.