How to skip TV-inspired food cravings

TV commercials can ignite junk food cravings. Robin Miller, MD, shares tips to turn off the munchies and lose weight.

Transcript

00:00

The TV weight connection holds true for grownups, too. Other research has shown that adults eat larger quantities of snack foods

00:07

after watching food ads on TV. Researchers suspect that pictures of pizza, sodas, burgers, and cookies prime the brain for thoughtless eating.

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00:23

Hi, I'm Dr. Miller here with an easy way to switch off food cravings. Just press the mute button on your TV remote any time

00:30

a commercial comes on. Studies suggest that TV shows loaded with food advertisements could be a recipe for gaining weight.

00:37

In a recent study of kids, researchers checked the TV watching habits and weights of 0 to 12-year-olds in 1997.

00:45

And then again five years later. The more TV commercials the kids saw, the heavier they tended to be.

00:51

Even if the kids watch lots of television, their weight tended to be healthier if their shows were light on commercials,

00:57

like public television programming. The TV weight connection holds true for grownups, too.

01:03

Other research has shown that adults eat larger quantities of snack foods after watching food ads on TV.

01:10

Researchers suspect that pictures of pizza, sodas, burgers, and cookies prime the brain for thoughtless eating.

01:17

If muting the sound isn't enough to keep your mind off the munchies, turning the TV off might be a better plan.

01:23

Or record your shows and fast-forward through the commercials. For more ways to watch your weight, check out all our smart tips right here.