Children's exposure to TV ads about high-sugar cereals influences their food intake, which increases their health risks for obesity as well as cancers, warns research.

The study, led by a team from the Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, US, showed that high-sugar cereals are heavily promoted during programmes aired for children on TV. Kids who were exposed to such TV ads were more likely to subsequently eat the brands of cereals they had seen advertised, the researchers said.