The June 2010 edition of the  Journal of the American Dietetic Association includes an interesting study reviewing food commercials on TV in the United States. The researchers  taped food advertisements during 84 hours of prime time TV and 12 on Saturday mornings. In 3,000 ads, 800 food items were promoted.

Their results suggest that a diet consisting of observed food items would provide

• 2,560% of the recommended daily servings for sugars,
• 2,080% of the recommended daily servings for fat,

But only:

• 40% of the recommended daily servings for vegetables,
  
• 32% of the recommended daily servings for dairy, and
  
• 27% of the recommended daily servings for fruits

Advertising works, which is why it is done. We may not eat only the foods advertised, but we take in this information, and as a result, we do eat the foods advertised and it helps us to get fat.

This is not just a problem in the US. It is here too. Have a careful look next time the ads come. Mostly the ads are for the things that we ought not to eat. Only a few are for the healthy stuff.