A publicity image from the film Shrek Forever After, featuring Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers, left, and Fiona, voiced by Cameron Diaz. (Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks Animation/Associated Press)

Is a giant, green ogre affecting your child's eating habits?

A new study suggests putting cartoon images like Shrek, Dora the Explorer or Scooby Doo on packaged children's snacks has a strong influence on a child's perception of how the food tastes.

The research from Yale University tested the perceptions of 40 pre-school and Grade 1 children when sampling a selection of graham crackers, gummy fruit snacks and carrots.

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North American retailers spend $1.6 billion US every year vying for the attention of picky eaters and their parents. Slapping a recognizable face on snack packages is often the best way to grab their attention. But do these loveable characters promote unhealthy eating?

The authors wrote in the journal Pediatrics that "the majority of children selected the food sample with a licensed character on it for their snack, but the effects were weaker for carrots than for gummy fruit snacks and graham crackers."

A non-profit group in the U.S. also questioned fast food mascots like Ronald McDonald, wondering whether these symbols were equally accountable for poor health choices in children.

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"Ronald McDonald is a Pied Piper drawing youngsters all over the world to food that is high in fat, sodium and calories," said Alfred David Klinger, a retired Chicago physician who volunteers with Corporate Accountability International.

Do you think cartoon characters and mascots should be banned from food products marketed at children? Do they promote unhealthy eating?

(This poll is not scientific. It is based on readers' votes.)