The regulation surrounding advertising to children has not been effective when it comes to social media, new research shows.

In case you haven’t noticed, we here at delicious. like to poke fun at fast food from time to time.

We’ve charted the ebbs and flows of consumer reactions to the fast food giants’ ploys to get customers. We’ve commiserated with the likes of Kim Kardashian, whose adherence to the Atkins diet has seen her swear off some of her favourite “sometimes foods”. Why, last week alone we shuddered in disbelief at a Sydney man’s 54,000-calorie fast food cake, and wondered along with the rest of the world why Donald Trump eats KFC with cutlery.

But occasionally it’s worth remembering that, if a lot of fast food chains have poor reputations, it’s partly because their actions warrant it. New research from the S P Jain School of Global Management in Sydney has given us one such moment for pause.

According to a new piece by Assistant Professor of Marketing Park Thaichon, the fast food giants are using social media to target children more than ever before. The voluntary codes that control such marketing have not proved very effective in protecting children from manipulation, he warned.

“Our research used in-depth interviews to find the strategies used by social networking sites to actively craft children’s attitudes to and consumption of fast food,” Professor Thaichon wrote in a piece for The Conversation. “This includes tactics such as giveaway vouchers and toys to engage a young audience.”

“For example, young consumers are encouraged to ‘like’ companies’ Facebook page[s] or sign up for their Twitter feeds, usually in exchange for premiums such as toys or discounts.”

Professor Thaichon’s study looked at a sample of 30 Australian children who used social networking sites. “Many of them said that the offer of complimentary toys that come with the meal options motivated them to look at advertisements,” he wrote.

He said it was often harder for children and parents to detect the boundaries between online content and pure advertising on social media sites compared to in more traditional media like television. “Eventually, this leads to likely purchase of the advertised food and a change of their eating habits.”

Professor Thaichon ultimately suggested that the problem was a regulatory one. The industry’s system of advertising codes includes the Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative and Quick Service Initiative, which are administered by the Advertising Standards Board.

But with both codes being voluntary – meaning companies needn’t follow them – it was difficult to ensure adherence, particularly in the “diverse and complex” digital space.

“This points to a need for policy makers to review the regulations related to online communications targeting young children on social networking sites,” he wrote. “In general, a tougher legislation system to shield children from unhealthy food marketing is essential to prevent the problems of obesity and to build a healthier society.”

That’s something that parents – if not the fast food giants themselves – can surely get behind. In the meantime, we here at delicious. would like to offer our own remedy. Here are some of our favourite recipes that mimic fast food and takeaway – a sure-fire way to know what your children are eating, if not, unfortunately, what’s being sold to them online.