Cereals heavily marketed to kids have been found to be the least nutritional, accordng to Yale University study. Lucky Charms and Trix are just two of “worst” cereals in terms of heavy marketing and low nutrition. Cereal industry disagrees.

A Yale study confirms suspicions that “most breakfast cereals advertised to kids are chockfull of sugar and low on fiber,” reports USA Today.

The report, issued over the weekend, from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity indicates that cereals specifically marketed to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60% more sodium that cereals targeted to adults.

The Rudd Center found a link suggesting that the most highly marketed childrens’ cereals have the least nutrition. And, the Rudd Center names names. The findings are presented below:

Cereals with the poorest nutrition ratings that are advertised to kids:

1. Reese’s Puffs
2. Corn Pops
3. Lucky Charms
4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch
4. Cap’n Crunch (tied)
6. Trix
6. Froot Loops (tied)
6. Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles (tied)
9. Cocoa Puffs
10. Cookie Crisp

Cereals most frequently marketed to kids on TV:

1. Cinnamon Toast Crunch
2. Honey Nut Cheerios
3. Lucky Charms
4. Cocoa Puffs
5. Trix
6. Frosted Flakes
7. Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles
8. Reese’s Puffs
9. Corn Puffs
10. Froot Loops

Cereals most frequently marketed to kids on the Internet:

1. Trix
2. Lucky Charms
3. Honey Nut Cheerios
4. Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles
5. Honey Comb
6. Reese’s Puffs
7. Apple Jacks
8. Froot Loops
9. Corn Pops
10. Frosted Flakes

Kelly Brownwell, Director of the Rudd Center, told USA Today, “Industry self-regulation is an abject failure. The worst cereals are being marketed very heavily to children.”

Brownwell is scheduled to present the analysis today in Washington at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society.

In a related study by the Rudd Center, the findings indicate that kids eating high-sugar type cereal for breakfast tend to eat two servings or about two cups. Children eating low-sugar cereals such as Rice Krispies, Cheerios, or Corn Flakes “ate about one serving or one cup.”

(Source: Digital Journal)