Watch What You Eat Since You Eat Because You Watch...TV!

New Study Shows Kids and Adults Snack More as They Watch TV.

A new report by Yale researchers who concluded a series of experiments found that for children between ages 7-11 who watched TV cartoons that included commercials with food ate 45% more snack foods than children who wathed the exact same cartoons that did not include commercials with foods in them. 

Obviously to parents, this is a finding that should not surprise you.  But it comfirms instead what we've long suspected about viewing TV and behaviors.  Consumer researchers have long suspected that such advertisements do influence comsumer behavior.  This study appears to confirm that corporations may indeed be benefiting from their advertising dollars.

Researchers concluded that if children were consistent throughout the year with their behaviors during the testing period, that they would put on an average of 10 pounds a year, if it were not offset by reducing their caloric intake at other meals.

A similar effect was observed with adults as well. 

Adults who watched TV that included commercials with unhealthy snack foods ate significantly more unhealthy snacks than did adults who watched TV with commercials about healthy foods or sensible eating.

Researchers warn food advertising triggers automatich eating regardless of whether you are hungry or not, therefore, for adults who are watching their weight or are trying to manage their children's weight, need to limit TV that includes snack food commercials. 

The alternative is to include healthy snack foods in the house instead of high calorie/low nutrient snacks that emphasize taste over nutrition. 

For example, leave out the potato chips and replace them with rice cakes (yeah, we know...they aren't that great) or celery and peanut butter.

The other alternative (if you have it) is to use your digital cable to watch commerical free TV. 

The last choices would be to cut out TV for the kids, get up and walk away during the commercial, mute the TV during a commercial, or change the channel.

In any case, there is now undisputed evidence that watching TV with unhealthy snacking does trigger the response to eat.