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New Study Finds Musicians Popular with Teens Endorse Mostly Junk Food

 

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A new study from researchers at the New York University Langone Medical Center found that musicians popular with teens largely endorse foods and beverages with low nutritional value.

Of the beverages promoted by these celebrities, 79% were sugary drinks.  Further, 80% of the foods being marketed were nutrient-poor.  The researchers found only one endorsement of a food product with a healthy score, which was pistachio nuts.

"These celebrity endorsement deals are often worth millions of dollars each, suggesting companies find them critical for promoting products," said lead study author Marie Bragg, a faculty member at the NYU College of Global Public Health. "Food advertising leads to overeating, and the food industry spends $1.8 billion per year marketing to youth alone."

The full study is available in Pediatrics, the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.