Television commercials that advertise free toys — which have become a staple in most kids' meals — contribute to how frequently families visit fast food restaurants, new research reveals.

A study published in The Journal of Pediatrics shows how exposure to fast food TV ads influences the number of times a family visits fast food restaurants, especially if children in the family specifically request the kids' meals offered by these restaurants in order to collect toy freebies.

Parents who participated in the study were asked about their children's viewing habits, including how frequently their kids watched four TV channels with child-centric programming. They were also asked whether their kids made any requests to visit two nationally recognized fast food chains that placed ads on those select channels.

In 2009, when data for the study was first collected, the researchers found that 79 percent of commercials presented by those two well-known fast food chains, which consider children their target market, were broadcast on those four children's TV networks.

Moreover, the parents needed to identify whether their kids wished to collect the free toys.

From a sample of 100 parents, whose children were between 3 years old and 7 years old, 37 percent reported visiting fast food restaurants on a monthly basis.

Just how eager were children in visiting these fast food chains? More than half of the number of children included in the study made requests to visit at least one of the two restaurants, the study found.

"Among children, 54 percent requested visits to and 29 percent collected toys from those restaurants," the researchers wrote.

Out of the number of children who acquired toy freebies, 83 percent had asked their parents to take them to one or both of the well-known fast food chains.

"Higher exposure among children to commercial TV networks that aired child-directed ads for children's fast food meals was associated with more frequent family visits to those fast food restaurants," they concluded.

The desire of children to acquire toy premiums may be a "mediating factor."

Marketing strategies aimed at viewers who are under 12 years old have become an important tool for fast food companies that package special meals for children.

"Our best advice to parents is to switch their child to commercial-free TV programming to help avoid pestering for foods seen in commercials," recommended Jennifer Emond, from the Geisel School of Medicine in Dartmouth College.