SQUARE-EYED SNACKING
If you’re feeling ravenous, don’t reach for the remote control – recent research shows that watching food ads on TV leads to a boost in snacking, increasing the risk of weight gain.
Yale University researchers conducted a series of experiments to test the effects of food commercials on television. One test found that children who watched a half-hour cartoon that included food commercials ate 45 percent more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials. That increased amount of snacking would lead to a weight gain of nearly 10 pounds a year!
In another experiment, adults who saw TV ads for unhealthy foods ate much more than those who saw ads that featured messages about good nutrition or healthy food. Yes, bet we’ve all mindlessly scoffed a whole packet of biscuits while watching Masterchef.
‘This research shows a direct and powerful link between television food advertising and calories consumed,’ said Jennifer Harris, of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. ‘Food advertising triggers automatic eating, regardless of hunger, and is a significant contributor to the obesity epidemic. Reducing unhealthy food advertising is critical,’ she said.
So, best to have some carrot sticks on hand before you tune in to the next episode of Saturday Kitchen…
Amy Lindsay – MyFaceMyBody.com Journalist
