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Children eat more daily after seeing junk food ads
The Independent
|May 12, 2025
Just five minutes of exposure to junk food advertising can lead children to consume an additional 130 calories daily, equivalent to a small chocolate bar, according to new research.

The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, reveals that advertising across various platforms, including social media, television, and podcasts, all contribute to this increased calorie intake.
Researchers found that children aged seven to 15 exposed to five minutes of advertisements for foods high in saturated fat, sugar and/or salt (HFSS) consumed an average of 130 extra calories per day.
This story is from the May 12, 2025 edition of The Independent.
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