A study into how Australian parents decide what food to buy has shown how sporting celebrity endorsements are a powerful motivator, and can easily prompt less healthy food choices.
The research found more than half of parents did not read nutritional information panel on food even in a situation where they were being asked to compare and chose a healthier option.
And when tested using mock-up versions of popular foods, these parents showed they were easily swayed by sporting celebrity endorsement.
"They were things like a high-sugar breakfast cereal, a snack pack with cheese biscuits, ice cream, chicken nuggets, that kind of thing," said Jane Martin, from the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC).
"When a sporting person was on it, people felt the product was healthier, it was higher quality and they are more likely to buy it.
"... We've just had a summer of cricket where KFC has been incredibly heavily promoted, so there is no doubt that these associations with sport do convey attributes of health and people are swayed by them."
The research took in more than 1500 parents who had children aged five to 12, and they were given a choice between two foods low in nutritional value and asked to pick the healthiest option.
The products were shown in a variety of packaging - either a plain packet with only with nutritional information panel or a packet also including a nutrient claim such as "High in Calcium", or a sports celebrity quoted as saying "I love this high fibre cereal", for example.
Only 44 per cent of the parents opted to read the nutritional information panel that was available for all of the products.
Those parents who did not refer to panel were almost twice as likely to choose the less healthy product if it featured a nutrient claim, and almost two-and-a-half times more likely when it was endorsed by a sports celebrity.
"I was surprised by just how powerful a nutritional content claim on its own was because they are incredibly common - you know `high in calcium, high in fibre, high in protein`," Ms Martin said.
"Those sorts of claims get even more of a kick when it is a sports star who is saying it on the front of the pack."
Ms Martin said the fact a minority of parents read the nutritional information panel showed a need for an overhaul of the way this information was conveyed.
The OPC is calling for traffic light labels - showing a green, amber or red light for each of a product's salt, fat and sugar content - as recommended by a recent federal food labelling review.
"Traffic lights as well as getting rid of nutrition claims on unhealthy foods, and getting rid of sports celebrity endorsements on unhealthy foods, would go a long way to helping people may better choices," Ms Martin said.
The research was undertaken by Cancer Council Victoria, which is part of the OPC, and is published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
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