Some kids see food ads 20 times a day

"Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising to Children in the United States," analyzed advertisements and the television viewing habits of children. Tweens averaged 21 ads per day, while those 13-17 averaged 17 ads per day. Children 2-7 years averaged the least number of food ads, at 12 per day.

The food advertisements viewed by tweens and teens were most often for candy and snacks (34%), cereal (28%), and fast food (10%). Four percent of ads were for dairy products and 1% for fruit juices. Fifteen percent of the ads showed children participating in physical activities, such as skateboarding, snowboarding, or basketball.

Kaiser Family Foundation's study was based on 1,638 hours of TV content and analysis of 8,854 ads.