Central to any policy discussion of regulating food advertising to children is an understanding of the nature of children’s comprehension of advertising. Numerous studies have documented that young children have little understanding of the persuasive intent of advertising (Strassburger, 2001; Kunkel, 1995; John, 1999). Young children are easily exploited because they do not understand that commercials are designed to sell products and because they do not yet possess the cognitive ability to comprehend or evaluate advertising. Preteens, aged 8 to 10 years, possess the cognitive ability to process .
