Watch What You Eat: NFL Game Advertisements Promote Foods High in Fat, Sodium
02/14/2025
ST. LOUIS (Feb. 14, 2025) — Research from Saint Louis University and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine finds that some of the most-watched ads promote the worst food options for adults with chronic health conditions.
The findings published online on Jan. 30 in JAMA Network analyzed advertisements transmitted during televised NFL games in the U.S. to assess the nutritional content by serving.
Lara Al-Zoubaidi, a third-year nutrition student at SLU’s Doisy College of Health Sciences. Photo by Sarah Conroy.
The study found that store-bought foods and quick-service restaurants advertised during NFL games, the most watched sporting events in the U.S., were frequently high in sodium, calories, and fat content.
The paper, “Salt and Nutritional Content of Foods Advertised During Televised Professional Football Games,” was first authored by Lara Al-Zoubaidi, a third-year nutrition student at SLU’s Doisy College of Health Sciences. Al-Zoubaidi was a part of the research team led by senior author Paul J. Hauptman, M.D., dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.
The observational study looked at the impact of advertising and paid sponsorships on consumer behavior and meal option selections on adults with heart failure, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes and kidney failure.
“The thing that surprised me most was how normalized these ads and paid promotions were, and there weren't any regulations on how much people could view them,” Al-Zoubaidi said.
Researchers discovered that excess dietary intake is frequently due to ingesting processed and prepared foods, including those from high-volume restaurants or other food establishments. They also reported that excess fat and caloric intake may influence the natural history of coronary artery disease, diabetes, and other conditions. The presentation in each commercial determined individual serving sizes. The nutritional content of each food item was determined from each company’s website.
Researchers said the combination of extended viewing times and poor dietary choices may be maladaptive for both primary and secondary prevention of multiple chronic cardiovascular and other conditions. The findings suggest clinicians should counsel individuals with prevalent conditions about limiting dietary sodium intake of most foods advertised during NFL games, which may improve symptoms and quality of life.
“This study was geared towards physicians to raise awareness around what their patients
are consuming and empower them to take control of their health,” Al-Zoubaidi said.
Other authors include Nadya Vinsdata, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno,
and R. Eric Heidel, Ph.D., Department of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Graduate
School of Medicine.
About Saint Louis University
Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers more than 15,200 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place.
Latest Newslink
- Frequent Heartburn May Signal Risk for Alcohol Use Disorder, SLU Study FindsA new study from Saint Louis University reveals that individuals with frequent heartburn—clinically known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)—have a higher chance of being diagnosed with alcohol use disorder within two years. Researchers are urging primary care providers to screen GERD patients for alcohol misuse during routine visits.
- St. Louis Literary Award Events to Kick Off with Screening of “The Namesake,” Talk with Director Mira NairSaint Louis University will welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri to campus in 2026 to receive the St. Louis Literary Award. Literary Award programming kicks off the week of Oct. 27 with a showing of the film "The Namesake" and a discussion with director Mira Nair.
- SLU Hispanic Studies Professor Named Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Humanities at East Carolina UniversityAmy E. Wright, Ph.D., professor of Hispanic Studies at Saint Louis University, has been named the David Julian and Virginia Suther Whichard Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at East Carolina University. She will hold the visiting Whichard professorship in ECU’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences for two years before returning to SLU.
- SLU, Maryville Team Up with Women in Cybersecurity to Close the Cyber Talent GapStudents from the Saint Louis University and Maryville University Women in Cybersecurity chapters are teaming up to address one of the nation's most critical challenges: the shortage of skilled professionals trained to combat escalating cybersecurity threats.
- SLU's Emerson Leadership Institute to Kick Off Speaker Series with Barry-Wehmiller's Bob ChapmanSaint Louis University’s Emerson Leadership Institute will host Bob Chapman, chairman of Barry-Wehmiller, as part of its Leadership Speaker Series on Monday, Nov. 3. The free event will include a fireside chat on dignity-based leadership with Jackson Nickerson, Ph.D., Edward Jones Dean of the Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business at SLU.
- SLU's Flying Billikens to Host Regional Event for National Intercollegiate Flying CompetitionThe Flying Billikens from the Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science will host the 2025 National Intercollegiate Flying Association Competition's Region VI and VIII SAFECON event Oct. 13-18 at the St. Louis Downtown Airport.
