Watching food ads on TV leads to a boost in snacking among children and adults, increasing the risk of weight gain, new research says.

Yale University researchers conducted a series of experiments to test the effects of food commercials on television. One test found that children aged seven to 11 who watched a half-hour cartoon that included food commercials ate 45 percent more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials. (more…)