TV cookery shows ‘giving kids an unhealthy appetite’

A DIET of too many television chefs is giving children an appetite for the wrong foods, a study warns.

Children in an experiment who watched cookery shows ate one and a half times as many pancakes afterwards as those who watched a nature and gardening programme. They also sprinkled almost twice as much sugar on their meal.

The experiment with youngsters aged from six to 11 may go some way to explaining the epidemic of childhood obesity.

The study, led by researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium, said: ‘TV cooking shows such as Masterchef, or shows from celebrity TV chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay or Nigella Lawson, are very popular. However, the meals that are prepared contain too much sugar, fat and/or salt according to World Health Organisation guidelines.

‘Chefs typically tend to prepare rather large portions of palatable, energy-dense meals. Since eating habits learned as a child will continue to exert an influence during adult life, it is important to develop [healthy] guidelines for such shows.’

The study was published in the journal Appetite. Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver declined to comment.