Junk food television advertising may cause dangerous automatic snacking behavior and lead to potentially deadly weight gain and obesity in both adults and children alike, according to the results of a new study published in the journal Health Psychology.
Researchers at Yale University conducted a series of experiments to assess the impact of eating behavior during TV viewing that included junk food advertising, health food advertising or no advertising at all.
Results revealed that children watching a 30 minute cartoon integrating commercials about junk food ate as much as 45% more snack food while watching the show as compared to those who watched the same show without any food commercials. The researchers estimate that from only a half hour of television viewing a day, the increase in snacking caused by food advertising would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year.
A further study showed that adults who were exposed to unhealthy food TV ads consumed significantly more food than those who saw healthy ads that highlighted good nutrition.
In the experiments with both children and adults, food advertising increased eating for all available foods, even foods that were not specifically presented in the advertisements.
Researchers at Yale University conducted a series of experiments to assess the impact of eating behavior during TV viewing that included junk food advertising, health food advertising or no advertising at all.
Results revealed that children watching a 30 minute cartoon integrating commercials about junk food ate as much as 45% more snack food while watching the show as compared to those who watched the same show without any food commercials. The researchers estimate that from only a half hour of television viewing a day, the increase in snacking caused by food advertising would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year.
A further study showed that adults who were exposed to unhealthy food TV ads consumed significantly more food than those who saw healthy ads that highlighted good nutrition.
In the experiments with both children and adults, food advertising increased eating for all available foods, even foods that were not specifically presented in the advertisements.
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