Super Bowl ads can lead to unhealthy eating habits

PHOENIX — Commercials are considered the best part of the Super Bowl by many people, but they might not be good for your health.

“They do work. People don’t spend $4 million for a 30-second ad if it’s not going to change behavior,” Dr. Donald Bucklin, regional director for U.S. Healthworks., said. “They’re really not that interested in entertaining us, they’re more interested in selling their product.”

Super Bowl Sunday is second only to Thanksgiving in caloric intake and advertisers are well aware.

“These commercials were produced by very talented people who know a lot about Americans and their whole reason is to manipulate behavior,” he said. “They want to make you buy more beer or eat more chips.”

So how do you filter societal influences?

“I think the first thing we need to do is be more educated about food,” Bucklin said. “And understand that snacks are something that are occasional, but not constant.”