TV adverts make teens crave junk food: Study

Watching shows through streaming websites like Netflix may be healthier than regular TV, say scientists who found that teens who are exposed to over three hours of commercials a day are more likely to eat hundreds of extra junk food snacks. Being bombarded by TV ads for unhealthy, high calorie food could lead teens to eat more than 500 extra snacks like crisps, biscuits and fizzy drinks throughout the course of a single year compared to those who watch less TV. The report by Cancer Research UK questioned 3,348 young people between the ages of 11-19 on their TV viewing habits and diet. When teens watched TV without adverts researchers found no link between screen time and likelihood of eating more junk food. This suggests that the adverts on commercial TV may be driving youngsters to snack on more unhealthy food.