A qualitative survey carried out by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) suggests that entertaining TV adverts for sweets, crisps and fast food have a real impact on primary school children, reinforcing the calls by health organisations for tougher advertising.

CRUK’s researchers talked to 137 children in 25 small focus groups in six schools in England and Scotland to find out how familiar they were with TV advertising, when they watched it and what effect it had on them. While there are bans on junk-food advertising during children’s TV shows, most were exposed to it while watching programmes with their families between 7pm and 9pm.

The children in years 4 and 6 at primary school, aged between eight and 12, were also shown some adverts. They appreciated humour and said the adverts made them feel hungry.

“With the [take-away pizza] advert, like they’re just so cool and they’re so yum,” said one boy from Oxfordshire in year 4. “We always have to go and get it because I can’t resist not going without [pizza] when I see the advert … At the end he like smashes … the [pizza] on the screen and you feel like you’re just going to lick the screen.”

It’s so hard to stand out these days … we have to get crazier, wackier and louder

A boy from Northamptonshire in year 6 said adverts could bring on a craving for certain types of food. “You might be eating a piece of fruit, you might see the advert and you might just throw it in the bin and ask your mum for money and leg it to the shop,” he said. One girl in year 5 from North Lanarkshire spoke of advertising persuading children that eating something would make them feel happy.

“It makes you feel as if you’re happy and excited, and it feels like you want to try it because the guy’s dancing in it because he’s eaten it and it tastes good,” she said.