Diet Based on TV Ads Makes People Fat, Unhealthy

If you were to eat only foods advertised on TV, you would consume more than 20 times the recommended amounts of fat and sugar, found a new study, but you'd get less than half of the fruits, vegetables and dairy products you need to fill out a balanced diet.

Commercials have long been criticized for pushing people toward unhealthy foods. The new study points out just how bad those skewed messages are to our health -- contributing to obesity, heart disease and more.

"The thing that really struck us is that this is a double whammy," said Michael Mink, a public health researcher at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga. "You're getting too many of the things that are associated with a higher risk of illness and too few of the nutrients that are associated with protecting us from illness. It's the worst combination."

Television is the primary source of nutrition and health information in America, studies show, with more than $11 billion spent on food-related advertisements in 2004. The same year, the United States Department of Agriculture spent just two percent of that amount on nutrition education.

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Which is why I am self educated on health, well at least compared to most I would dare say.

I can't help but wonder if our obesity problem in the US is because of advertising and therefore points out the sheep mentality of such individuals. I'm not saying it is this way for sure but it is DEFINITELY a factor even if added to emotional ties and such that people have to food.

As the wise saying goes, eat to live don't live to eat. Well I guess that's ok if it's broccoli and apples right?

How else are they going to control us? They have to keep us fat, docile, happy and diseased with diabetes and other health problems caused by the chemicals they poison us with.