Just 5 minutes of exposure to junk food ads may coax children to consume more calories: Study

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Just five minutes of advertising of junk foods -- essentially high in saturated fats, sugar, and/or salt (HFSS) -- is enough to coax children and adolescents to consume significantly more calories during the day, according to a study.

The study showed that 7-15-year-olds with just five minutes of ad exposure, regardless of the type of media advertising, can consume on average 130 kcals per day extra, which is equivalent to the calories in two slices of bread.

"Our findings offer crucial novel information on the extent, nature, and impact of unhealthy food marketing via different types of media on young people's eating behaviour," said lead author Professor Emma Boyland from the University of Liverpool in the UK.

"Even short exposure to the marketing of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar can drive excess calorie consumption and potentially weight gain, particularly in young people who are more susceptible to advertising and whose eating patterns influence their lifelong health," Boyland added.

The study, based on a randomised crossover trial of 240 volunteers between the ages of 7 and 15 years, is being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Malaga, Spain.

The analysis found that following exposure to HFSS food ads, children consumed more snacks (+58.4 kcals), more lunch (+72.5 kcals), and more food overall (snack and lunch combined (+130.90 kcals) than after exposure to non-food ads.

"Our results show that unhealthy food marketing leads to sustained increases in caloric intake in young people at a level sufficient to drive weight gain over time," Boyland said.

Unhealthy weight gain in adolescents may lead to a host of health issues, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

The study will help in the design of urgent restrictive food marketing policies that can protect children's health, said the team.

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