Conversations between parents and pre-school age obese children are legendary in the cereal and snack aisles of the local supermarket.

Basically, the parent asks the child which cereal to purchase. From the child’s shopping cart vantage point, shelf scanning commences. Suddenly, the child spies the brilliantly colored box with the mesmerizing characters and exuberantly shrieks, “I like this cereal.” This is news to mom as she’s never purchased it before.

As mom tries to steer the child toward a different choice, pouting and protestation ensue before the harried parent either gives in or rolls on. Sometimes the mom makes an aside that goes something like this, “Where did she learn about this?”

A study published in the journal Obesity and conducted by the Center for Child Health Care Studies, Harvard Medical School, reports that fast food and junk food consumption increased in pre-school age children with each additional hour spent viewing television or videos. The research findings raise the possibility that “greater exposure to TV and videos may influence preschool children’s consumption of unhealthful foods.”  Recommended reading: Pedia Trim & Fit: Reclaiming Overweight Children for parents of obese children.