Increasing pressure to be thin: 19 years of diet products in television commercials

The number of television commercials for diet foods and diet products shown on the three major American networks was tabulated for the years 1973-1991. A significant increase in both diet food commercials and diet product commercials was found during this period, and during the different time periods throughout the day. The findings index the pressure placed upon Americans to purchase diet food and diet products. The significance of these findings with respect to eating disorders is discussed.