What it means if your kid recognizes these 11 brand logos

Young children who recognize brand names and logos of junk food are at higher risk of weight gain and obesity, a recent study suggests.

In a study done by University of Michigan, researchers found an association between preschoolers’ weight and their abilities to match logos with the type of food it represents. They found that those who could easily recognize the logos were more likely to have an unhealthy diet and therefore, become overweight.

In the study, the researchers took the body mass index (BMI) of 247 young children, with an average age of four and a half, and then asked each child to identify 30 different U.S. food brands. During the test, each child was shown a brand logo along with three types of foods. The participant had to match the correct food to the brand.

The researchers found that overweight children consistently recognized 10 food items more than children with a healthy weight. These brands included M&M’s candies, Cocoa Puff’s cereal, KFC, Keebler cookies, Pringles potato chips, Rice Krispies cereal, Cap’n Crunch cereal, Coca-Cola, Planter’s peanuts and Hamburger Helper.

Not surprisingly, the logo with the highest percentage of recognition by overweight children was McDonald’s.

“Although this is a correlation and not a causation, it is important for parents to understand that exposing your children to processed, unhealthy foods at a young age can create poor eating habits and set the tone for an unhealthy lifestyle,” says Dr. Vidhya Viswanathan, pediatric endocrinologist at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Ill. “It may be a red flag if your child is well-versed in brand logos on these unhealthy treats.”