Frosted Mini-Wheats improve children's attentiveness by 20 percent
| Frosted Mini-Wheats improve children's attentiveness by 20 percent | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "A breakfast of Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats is clinically shown to improve children's attentiveness by nearly 20 percent." | |
| Domain | Food, Nutrition & Wellness |
| Tactic | Statistical & Evidentiary Distortion |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2008 |
| Origin | Kellogg's national advertising campaign in 2008 |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-30 |
| Further reading: books on Food, Nutrition & Wellness | |
In 2008, Kellogg ran ads saying that a breakfast of Frosted Mini-Wheats was "clinically shown to improve kids' attentiveness by nearly 20%." The claim appeared on boxes and in television, print and online ads.
The Federal Trade Commission found that Kellogg's own study did not show this.
What the evidence shows
- The study. Kellogg's research compared children who ate the cereal with children who had only water. About half the children who ate the cereal showed any improvement in attentiveness, and only about one in nine improved by 20 percent or more.
- FTC action. In April 2009, Kellogg agreed to an FTC order barring false or misleading claims about the cognitive benefits of its foods.
- Class action. Kellogg later settled a consumer class action over the claim for about $4 million.
Why it matters
A real study can still be misrepresented. Turning a result seen in a minority of children into a headline percentage misled parents about what the evidence showed.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, "Kellogg Settles FTC Charges That Ads for Frosted Mini-Wheats Were False," April 20, 2009.
- In re Kellogg Co., FTC Docket No. C-4262, decision and order, 2009.
- Reuters, "Kellogg settles Frosted Mini-Wheats lawsuit," 2011.