It was recently reported by Martens and Schneider (Guardian, 2009) that billions of pounds are spent every day by junk food companies to persuade children to consume their products. Additionally, a US study shows that on Saturday mornings, when children are more likely to be watching, a food advert is shown every eight minutes, which is considered an alarming rate (Bell, 2009). Should the government allow these companies to advertise their products on television during children's shows? Some people agree that these companies should be allowed to do this because it is a way to make a profit and it is completely legal. However, a large portion of people believe that allowing these companies and businesses to advertise their products in the media can lead to many serious consequences for children, such as obesity, non-nutritional eating habits, and other problems within individual families. Food adverts should be banned during children's programs as they could lead to childhood obesity, which is thought to be linked to the number of adverts watched. This fact could be illustrated by the notable increase in the rate of overweight children which was 13% among 6-10 year olds and 14% among 12-19 year olds over the last thirty years who have obviously been confronted with a significant increase in the rate of advertisements (ScienceDaily, 2008). Since most of the advertised products are high in fat and sugar, consumption of these foods is likely to lead to obesity. Many people believe that banning these advertisements would reduce the rate of overweight children. Additionally, a new study conducted by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicates that the ban on fast food advertisements in...... middle of paper ...... is the main casualty of these advertisements. If the government did not act by banning this method of marketing, children would face many problems, especially in the years to come. In addition, these advertisements would affect several aspects of children's lives such as health, habits and relationships within families. Furthermore, advertisements could also have the effect of changing the value acquired by children during their early years. An extreme ban would improve children's overall health. It is also seen as a way to encourage young people to eat healthy foods and to help them distinguish between advertising messages and other programs. Recent statistics show many alarming rates associated with this problem. This is why the authorities should ban these advertisements and take into account the health and future of children..