Watching TV Food Ads Linked to Increased Snacking
Americans young and old who watch food commercials on TV have a greater tendency to snack and suffer weight gain, a recent study has discovered. The study, which was published in the journal Health Psychology, was done by scientists at Yale University to investigate the effects of TV food ads on viewers. In one experiment, the scientists showed two groups of children the same half-hour cartoon.
For one group, food commercials were included, while the other group viewed non-food-related commercials. The result was that those children who watched the food ads ate 45 percent more snack food during the show than those who saw non-food spots.
The researchers calculated that the extra snacking would translate into a weight gain of almost 10 pounds annually, unless the children cut back on other foods or stepped up their exercise levels.
In another test, the scientists showed adults TV commercials for unhealthy foods. It turned out that those who viewed these ads ate far more than those who were shown spots that spoke of good nutrition or healthy food.
“This research shows a direct and powerful link between television food advertising and calories consumed by adults and children,” lead author Jennifer Harris, director of marketing initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, said in a press release put out by the university.
“Food advertising triggers automatic eating, regardless of hunger, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Reducing unhealthy food advertising to children is critical,” she said.
Nutrition Therapy Manhattan
Christopher Trahan OMD., LAc
Olympus Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine
54 West 21st Street (near 6th Ave)Suite 910
NYC,
NY
10010
Call (888)-530-0611
Are you looking for a holistic and integrative approach to nutrition therapy that involves natural solutions rather than synthetic medicines? In Manhattan, New York, The Olympus Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine headed by Dr. Trahan is able to provide you with just that.