This may be a surprise, but kids prefer cartoon characters to look like healthy kids. You wouldn't know it by looking at many of the cartoons that are out now -- many shows feature boys as muscular heroes and girls with unnaturally proportioned body parts.

Recent research shows that what many cartoons deliver isn't what kids actually prefer. More than 1,000 kids between the ages of three and 12 were given a choice between three versions of a female cartoon character -- one with an unnaturally thin waist, one with normal proportions, and one with a chubby waist. Happily, 70% of girls and boys chose the character with the normal proportions. The kids also prefer cartoon characters depicting children instead of adults.

I think it's awesome that kids gravitate toward the healthier, more realistic image. It just goes to show that kids can have a healthy body image. If you're a parent, picking the right shows for your kids to watch is just one way to protect their body image. Kaboose has more ideas.

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Think about it: You have Tony the Tiger telling you that sugary Frosted Flakes are Grrrrrrrreat and Sunny the Coco Puffs bird telling you to go Cukoo for Coco Puffs. But where's Larry the Lion telling you to eat your fruit salad? Or Fiona the Frog telling you get your five to 10 veggie servings a day? OK, these examples are pretty lame but with the exception of Pop-Eye and his spinach, you have to admit that hardly any cartoon mascots are encouraging kids to get healthy. No wonder youngsters just keep getting bigger and bigger.

That's what they're saying over in Britain anyway, where the lack of healthy cartoon characters is causing a stir. Says one health reporter: "Cartoons are great fun for kids. We definitely don't want to see the end of popular characters like Tony the Tiger and the Honey Monster, but we do want to see them promoting healthier products. Food companies must play their part in the fight against childhood obesity and diet-related disease by acting responsibly."

What do you think? Are cartoon characters a big part of the obesity problem or is this just another excuse to deflect the blame from the lack of parental nutrition guidelines?

(via Calorie Lab)

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Over the in UK, rules were recently placed on child-targeted advertising, prohibiting them from running junk food ads during popular kids programming. But according to recent reports from the BBC, the rules are not working. The reason? They're not strict enough. In fact, it turns out that only four of the top 20 children's shows are required to adhere to these rules. So some shows, like The Simpsons, are not allowed to run junk food ads during commercial breaks, while other like Beat the Star (which attracts half a million children!) can.

However, it's still estimated that the amount of junk food ads that children see on British TV has been reduced by around 50%. It's a start, but I'm still hoping for 100%.

What do you think about kid-targeted advertising? Is it a parent's responsibility to restrict what their kids see on TV? Or should advertising companies back off and stop aiming at impressionable minds?

(via Calorie Lab)

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I've admitted a number of times before that I'm a blurb reader. I like punchy, to-the-point bits of information, usually served in terse and mostly prosaic turns of phrase. This is probably why I'm such a fan of ESPN's Plays of the Day, the rapid-fire sports talk show Pardon the Interruption, and the Facts of Life blurbs that appear in every edition of Men's Health magazine.

With respect to the last of the three, the most recent issue of Men's Health does its usual good job of entertaining those of us with a thirst for information but somewhat short attention spans. Here are this month's Facts of Life:

26. Percentage decrease in the number of general surgeons in the U.S. since 1980

98. Percentage of physicians who report being in good to excellent health

14. Percentage increase in new syphilis cases among men between 2006 and 2007

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As part of the fight against childhood obesity, the World Cancer Research Fund is now using cartoons to get kids interested in eating right, and getting active. Much like Captain Planet taught children about protecting the environment, the WCRF hopes Snack the dog, Professor Foodsmart and the Great Grub Club Gang can teach them about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

The idea is to target 4 to 7-year-olds, in order to preempt disease and obesity later in life. This latest initiative comes after news that children only eat 2 of their recommended 5 daily portions of fruits and vegetables, and that 92% of kids eat too much saturated fat.

However, while it seems like a great way to educate kids, the question remains: is it fun? Children will identify with a cartoon initially, but if it isn't entertaining, I imagine the initiative will quickly lose steam -- or only succeed with families who were already interested in healthy eating and physical fitness.

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I know that I breathed a huge sigh of relief this weekend. Phew. My kids have lost their last icons of bad behavior! I thought. Tom and Jerry, that eponymous animated cat and mouse duo, are destined never to smoke again.

Yes! It is sarcasm. Boomerang has chosen to selectively edit the cartoon episodes where smoking in Tom & Jerry is seen as "condoned, acceptable or glamorised," according to the BBC. Turner Broadcasting, which airs Boomerang in the U.S., is considering following suit. Not up for review? The bonking with a frying pan, the falling out a second-story window, none of these are seen as dangerous. But the cat, when it's smoking a cigar while playing tennis, now that's a bad example.

As a commentator on BBC World Service last night said, there's a lot more disturbing on TV. He was more concerned about the plethora of ED ads, while I'm highly uncomfortable that my 15-month-old will stop breastfeeding to watch those pipe people plug bladder control drugs. Do you think cartoon creatures from the 1950s are influencing your children's propensity for addiction; or is it (like in my family) much more of a problem that the beloved Aunt Erin can't give up the nicotine habit?