Researchers have found that preschoolers are already being influenced by advertising, specifically from the Golden Arches. Dr. Thomas Robinson of the Stanford University School of Medicine found that preschoolers said burgers and fries tasted better when they came in McDonald's wrappers instead of plain wrapping, even though the food was from the same order. Robinson and his colleagues surveyed 63 children from ages three to five by offering five pairs of foods and asking if they tasted the same or to point to the one that tasted better. About 60 percent of the time, the kids preferred food from a McDonald's wrapper. The preschoolers even said the baby carrots tasted better from the fast-food chain.

In response, a McDonald's Corporation spokesperson said the company is working on advertising healthier alternatives, as they recently did with their "Shrek" campaign that promoted fruits, veggies and milk.