A new trial at the 2024 European Congress on Obesity reveals that just five minutes of junk food ads can make children consume 130 extra kilocalories daily—roughly two bread slices
Published May 19, 2025 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated May 19, 2025 | 7:00 AM
Synopsis: To tackle rising sugar consumption and related health risks among children, the CBSE has mandated ‘Sugar Boards’ in all affiliated schools to raise awareness. The move follows a spike in Type 2 diabetes cases among minors. Meanwhile, global research points to junk food advertising as a major contributor to unhealthy eating habits, intensifying the challenge beyond school boundaries
In a bid to curb rising sugar consumption among children, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed all affiliated schools to establish ‘Sugar Boards’—an awareness initiative designed to inform students about the dangers of excessive sugar intake.
But while schools are being asked to fight the sugar crisis on their premises, new international research reveals a more pervasive enemy—aggressive junk food advertising that drives up children’s calorie intake in just minutes of exposure.
In its advisory, CBSE cited an alarming surge in Type 2 diabetes among children—a condition once almost exclusive to adults—as one of the main reasons behind the initiative.
“These boards should provide essential information, including the recommended daily sugar intake, the sugar content in commonly consumed foods (unhealthy meals such as junk food, cold drinks, etc.), health risks associated with high sugar consumption, and healthier dietary alternatives. This will educate students about informed food choices and promote long-term health benefits among students,” it said.
CBSE said that over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in Type 2 diabetes among children, a condition once primarily seen in adults. This alarming trend is largely attributed to high sugar intake, often due to the easy availability of sugary snacks, beverages, and processed foods within school environments. The excessive consumption of sugar not only increases the risk of diabetes but also contributes to obesity, dental problems, and other metabolic disorders, ultimately impacting children’s long-term health and academic performance.
“Studies indicate that sugar constitutes 13 percent of daily calorie intake for children aged 4 to 10 years, and 15 percent for those aged 11 to 18 years, substantially exceeding the recommended limit of 5 percent. The proliferation of sugary snacks, beverages, and processed foods, often readily available in school environments, contributes significantly to this excessive intake,’ said the CBSE.
However, tackling sugar in lunchboxes might not be enough when the biggest push comes from screens. A new randomised crossover trial presented at the 2024 European Congress on Obesity in Malaga shows that even five minutes of exposure to junk food advertisements can cause children to consume an extra 130 kilocalories per day—equivalent to two slices of bread.
“Our findings offer crucial new insights into the extent, nature, and impact of unhealthy food marketing across various media platforms on young people’s eating behaviour,” said lead author Professor Emma Boyland from the University of Liverpool in a statement.
“Even brief exposure to marketing of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar can significantly increase calorie intake and potentially lead to weight gain—particularly in young people who are more vulnerable to advertising and whose eating habits shape their long-term health,” she added.
Obesity, a multifactorial condition, is influenced by a variety of environmental, behavioural, and socioeconomic factors. While previous research has linked product-based advertising in audiovisual media to increased immediate and delayed food consumption in children, less is known about the effects of other forms of media.
These include brand-only advertisements (which feature branding elements like logos without showing actual food or beverages) and audio-only ads (such as those heard on podcasts or radio).
It also remains unclear whether the effects of food advertising differ based on a child’s sociodemographic background—an important factor in understanding how marketing may contribute to health inequalities.
To investigate further, researchers conducted a randomised crossover trial to measure the impact of HFSS food ads (compared to non-food ads) on both immediate and delayed calorie intake in children. They also examined whether the effects varied based on the content of the advertisement (brand-only vs. product-based), the type of media (audio-visual, visual, audio, or static), and the child’s socioeconomic background.
This comprehensive approach highlights the systemic nature of the problem and raises questions about the effectiveness of awareness initiatives—such as the CBSE’s recently mandated ‘Sugar Boards’—in fully shielding children from the broader influences of unhealthy food marketing.
The study involved 240 participants from schools across Merseyside, UK. On two separate occasions, the children were exposed to five minutes of HFSS food advertisements and, in a separate session, to non-food advertisements. These ads were either brand-only or product-based and delivered through one of four media formats.
Following each exposure, researchers measured the children’s ad libitum (free) intake of snack and lunch foods. Participants’ height and weight were recorded to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI), and home postcodes were used to determine socioeconomic status based on the 2019 English Index of Multiple Deprivation.
The results were striking: after viewing HFSS food ads, children consumed an additional 58.4 kilocalories from snacks, 72.5 kilocalories from lunch, and 130.9 kilocalories in total, compared to when they viewed non-food ads.
Interestingly, neither the type of media nor the child’s socioeconomic status influenced the degree of increased intake. However, the study found that with each standardized unit increase in BMI (adjusted for age and sex), children consumed an extra 17 kilocalories overall.
“Our results show that unhealthy food marketing leads to sustained increases in caloric intake among young people—enough to promote weight gain over time,” said Professor Boyland. “This is the first study to demonstrate that brand-only food advertisements—currently unregulated globally—are just as effective as product-based ads in increasing children’s food intake. These findings should urgently inform the development of stronger, more comprehensive food marketing policies to protect children’s health.”
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
