Television Ads Create Bad Eaters

This is probably not too much of a shock. Especially to anyone who has kids. The commercials that air during most children's programming is either for toys or some horrible invention that's supposed to be food (or candy). As always, it's about the money.

The institute found that children and other young people spend $200 billion a year. In 2004, children ages 2 to 15 influenced about $500 billion worth of purchases a year, compared with $295 billion in 1993. Of the things that children buy -- or have their parents buy for them -- food and beverages, especially candy, carbonated soft drinks and salty snacks, are the top categories.

The number of new food products aimed at children is growing at a far faster rate than new food products in general, and for the most part, new children's products were high in total calories, sugar or fat, the report found.

I grew up with junk food. I think most of the children in this country probably did. Probably the worst part of it is that if I had to make a choice between a beautiful apple and a bag of potato chips, I'd reach for the bag of chips. This is one heal of a evil circle.