Just 5 minutes of watching fast food commercials, children immediately do this

Children eat more after watching just five minutes of unhealthy food ads - Photo: FREEPIK

The study, conducted with 240 children aged 7 to 15 at schools in Merseyside (UK), found that children ate more after watching just five minutes of unhealthy food advertising.

Children eat more after watching commercials

The authors calculated that after watching the ad, the children consumed an extra 58 calories in snacks and an extra 73 calories at lunch. In total, they consumed an average of 130 extra calories, equivalent to two slices of bread, according to The Guardian .

The research, due to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Málaga, Spain, found that advertising a specific food item, or advertising fast food brands in general, had the same impact on calorie intake.

This result is not affected by different types of ads, such as videos with sound, social media posts, podcast ads, and billboards or signs.

“This is the first study to show that branded food advertising influences what children eat,” said Emma Boyland, lead author of the study and professor of food marketing and child health at the University of Liverpool.

Not only do kids eat more immediately after watching food commercials, they actually eat more during lunch, several hours after they watch the commercials.

Advertisements "remind" children to eat available foods

"The foods we tested were not the ones shown in advertisements, nor did they have brand information.

So it's not that kids are motivated to buy those particular foods or go out to eat fast food. Seeing the ads is like a reminder for kids to consume the foods that are available," she explains.

Experts have warned that the research has exposed a loophole in the UK Government's proposal to ban unhealthy food advertising on television before 9pm, which is due to come into effect in October.

Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said brands can still advertise to teens even without displaying specific products, on billboards and at bus stops. Children who are overweight or obese are especially vulnerable.

DAWN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chi-5-phut-xem-quang-cao-thuc-an-nhanh-tre-lap-tuc-lam-dieu-nay-20250514194747666.htm