- A new study shows that just five minutes of junk food ads can lead children to consume an additional 130 calories.
- Exposure to high-fat, sugary, and salty food ads significantly affects children’s eating habits, regardless of brand.
- Experts urge stricter advertising regulations to protect vulnerable children from unhealthy food marketing.
Recent research presented at the European Congress on Obesity highlights the alarming impact of junk food advertising on children’s eating habits. Just five minutes of exposure to high-calorie, nutrient-poor food ads can prompt children to consume an average of 130 extra calories per day.
Experts are raising concerns about the effectiveness of current advertising regulations, especially in the UK, where new rules will ban junk food ads before 9 pm.
Junk Food Ads: A Five-Minute Trigger for Childhood Overeating
A study conducted on 240 children aged 7 to 15 revealed that just five minutes of exposure to junk food ads can significantly increase calorie consumption. The findings indicated that children consumed an average of 130 more calories, comprising 58 extra calories from snacks and 73 additional calories during meals, even when the food was unbranded.
Researchers observed that the influence of junk food advertising extended beyond branded products, with children demonstrating increased intake of high-fat, sugary, and salty foods regardless of the specific items shown in the ads. This suggests that the mere visual stimuli associated with junk food can be enough to trigger overeating.
The study also underscored the inadequacy of existing advertising regulations. While the UK is set to ban junk food ads before 9 pm, the researchers argue that limiting advertising to specific time slots may not be sufficient to reduce the impact on children’s calorie intake, as brief exposure is still impactful.
In India, parental concern over food advertising is growing. A survey by LocalCircles reported that 56% of parents believe that such ads are influencing their children’s dietary habits, prompting calls for stricter government regulations to curb unhealthy food marketing targeting children.
The study underscores the powerful impact of even brief junk food ads on children’s calorie consumption, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive advertising restrictions.
“Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy things we don’t need.” — Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
