The nutritional well-being of children is a high priority, given our knowledge
relating nutrition to health risks in this group and the importance of early
childhood experiences in forming lifetime behavioral patterns. Children
are becoming consumers at younger ages, and a variety of influences and
experiences shapes their consumer habits. This paper reviews the marketing
literature to gain insight into the purchasing power, habits, and purchase
influence of children and teenage youth and also to examine the influence
of commercialism on their food purchasing behavior. The findings are discussed
within the context of building young consumers’ information-processing skills
in order to help them make informed dietary choices in the marketplace.