First, it is important to look at what types of food are advertised during Saturday morning cartoons. Sugar-coated breakfast cereals, most 'snack foods,' cake mixes. While foods in groups three and four are produced by only a handful of large multinational corporations with strong brand name, or sign, value to introduce or protect and with large advertising budgets.
Children view commercials for sugared food products with empty calories on an almost constant basis.
Furthermore, advertising portrays the notion that eating sugared foods is perfectly consistent with the concept of a healthy and balanced diet. Advertisers are able to sell the idea of sugared foods containing nutritional value through a number of means. Further, sugared cereals are often sold along with the disclaimer of being part of a nutritious breakfast. This breakfast typically includes cereal, milk, orange juice, toast, and fruit. However, the message that children receive is that eating the cereal alone will provide a sufficiently healthy breakfast.