Food advertising may increase obesity risk

Exposure to food advertising on television may increase food consumption and the risk of obesity, a study found. The research study analysed data of several studies conducted all over the world and the results were published in the journal British Medical Journal. The analysis observed the impact of advertisements of fast foods and advergames (games that include advertisement of food in some way, for e.g., a car racing game featuring an energy drink) on the calorie  intake and body mass index (BMI) of children of age 2-18 years. The results showed that children exposed to food advertising had  increased calorie consumption of 60 Kcal,

whereas those influenced by advergames consumed 53.4 Kcal of increased calorie consumption. The  analysis has observed that an hour of TV time consists of 12 minutes of advertising. The advertisements are designed in such a way to enhance the visual impact of the food. Obese children have been found to demand more unhealthy attractive food than those with healthy body weight.

Source: British Medical Journal, 2024