Here’s a very interesting twist on the “blame the TV” story posted in the NY Times. In case someone is wondering why their kid sees broccoli as their worst enemy, try watching TV commercials through your kid’s eyes. While no one advertises broccoli, junk food products and various foods loaded with sugar have pretty good representation on television.
“Most of the food ads that children and teens see on TV are for foods that nutritionists, watchdog groups and government agencies argue should be consumed either in moderation, occasionally or in small portions,” the group found. “Of the 8,854 food ads reviewed in the study, there were no ads for fruits or vegetables targeted at children or teens.”
In case you are wondering, several studies have demonstrated that television ads do indeed have an effect — and not a good effect — on what children eat, and how much. In one study of 548 students at five public schools near Boston, published in 2006 in The Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, researchers found that for each additional hour of television viewing, the children consumed an additional 167 calories, especially the calorie-dense, low-nutrient foods frequently advertised on television.
It’s sad there seems to be no apparent solution to this, unless speaking your mind to a TV or movie producer as suggested in the article counts as something more than venting your frustration.