TV advertising increases the consumption of unhealthy foods in adolescents

TV advertising influences the eating habits of young people

Teenagers who watch more than three hours of commercial television a day eat more than 500 extra snacks such as chips, biscuits, and soft drinks each year. This comes from a frightening report by an English cancer organization. According to the report, teenagers in particular are motivated by TV advertising of unhealthy and high-calorie foods to eat more fast food and sweets than those who watch less television. The report is based on a survey of 3,348 UK young people between the ages of 11 and 19 who were asked about their television habits and diet.

Energy drinks and other soft drinks with lots of sugar, chips and fast food were some of the foods that were eaten more by teenagers who saw a lot of television with commercials. In non-commercial television, researchers found no link between the length of television and the likelihood of eating more junk food. This suggests that commercial television commercials may make young people eat unhealthy foods. The Cancer Research UK cancer report was recently published on the organization's website.

According to a recent study, watching TV advertisements in children and adolescents leads to increased consumption of unhealthy food and drink. (Image: Myst / fotolia.com)

The strongest proof so far

The report is also the largest study ever conducted in the UK to assess the impact of TV advertising on nutrition. As it turned out, adolescents claiming to watch TV commercials on a regular basis drank more than twice as often soft drinks and more ready meals. "This is the strongest evidence that promoting unhealthy eating could increase the number of teenagers who increasingly eat unhealthy foods," Dr. Jyotsna Vohra, a lead author of the study. While this would not mean that every teenager watching TV ads automatically accesses fast food and soft drinks, this survey suggests that there is a strong link between advertising and eating habits.

Serious health consequences

Regularly eating high-calorie foods and drinks, which usually also contain higher amounts of fat and sugar, increases the risk of overweight or obesity. According to "Cancer Research UK", obesity is the second largest preventable cause of cancer in the UK after smoking and obesity is associated with 13 cancers including colon, breast and pancreatic cancer. Vohra criticizes the British media regulator "Ofcom" for its outdated regulations. "Ofcom has to stop promoting junk food shown on programs popular with young people," says Vohra. Reducing TV marketing for unhealthy diets could help stop the ever-increasing levels of obesity.

Children are more prone to becoming obese

"Obese children are five times more likely to be obese than adults, which may increase their risk of cancer later in life," says Professor Linda Bauld, prevention expert for Cancer Research UK. The food industry will continue to push its products into the heads of teenagers as long as they are allowed to do so. The government must work with Ofcom to protect next-generation health.

About Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is one of the world's leading cancer organizations committed to saving lives through research. More than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses support Cancer Research UK in exploring all aspects of cancer. According to the organization, two out of every four people survive their cancer for at least ten years. The aim of the organization is to accelerate progress by 2034 so that three out of four people will survive their cancer for at least ten years. (Vb)