TV Ads Make Kids Fatter: Ban Those Junk Food Ads Targeted at Children

Parents have been complaining about this for years, but now a study confirms that watching too much TV can make kids fat.

But, specifically, watching those food commercials for junk aimed at them that makes them wider. Not only that, but if there was a ban on fast food TV advertising, you'd see a big move to reverse childhood obesity trends, according to a new study from researchers from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). 

In fact, just getting rid of those enticing TV spots for fast food could lead to 18 percent fewer overweight kids aged 3 to 11 and it would reduce the number of overweight adolescents ages 12 to 18 by 14 percent.

Of course, this study, published in this month in the Journal of Law and Economics, certainly adds to the ongoing debate in the food industry about whether or not child-directed food and beverage advertising should be allowed.

So why don't the government step in and do something about this? President-Elect Obama, are you listening?

Thanks to Food Navigator for tipping me off to this study.

Check out the Seattle Post Intelligencer story, too.