Does TV Lead To Obesity In Children?
By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN
updated on 02/04/2008 at 11:35AM
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is a resounding YES. In fact, researchers from several prominent universities and organizations are pointing the finger squarely at TV as the primary cause of obesity in America’s children. By the time U.S. kids reach senior high school, they've spent on average of three years of their waking lives in front of the tube. New research shows that children who watch more than two hours of TV a day are more likely than their peers to be obese, even ten years later.
Here’s a look at two recent studies that asked, “Does TV lead to obesity in children?”
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Ross Anderson looked at the TV watching habits of over four thousand children between the ages of eight and sixteen. He also noted the physical activity levels and body fat of the study participants. Anderson found that one-fourth of American children watched four or more hours of television a day. These children weighed more and had a higher percentage of body fat than those who watched fewer than two hours of TV a day. Anderson also found that teenage girls and black and Hispanic kids of both genders watch more TV than their white, male peers, and they're also heavier.
A study by Robert Hancox that was published in Lancet magazine found that kids between the ages of five and fifteen who watched more than two hours of TV a day were different from their peers more than ten years later, even if they no longer watched that much TV. By age 26 those that watched more television as children were more likely to be obese, out of shape and have problems with their cholesterol levels.
How Does TV Lead To Obesity In Children and Adults?
Television affects the health of both children and adults. First and foremost, television ads are constantly bombarding us with information about health and nutrition, and unfortunately, most of it’s skewed. Our children are most susceptible to these leading advertisements. For instance, children may have a hard time recognizing fact from fiction when they see an ad that shows thin beautiful people enjoying high calorie, high fat foods and drinks. Roughly two-thirds of the 20,000 TV ads an average child sees each year are for food and most are for unhealthy foods. The majority of children who watch health related commercials believe what the ads say, even if the ads do not give accurate or balanced information.
Watching television also affects one’s health by replacing other activities and by slowing the metabolic rate. Television viewing leads to obesity in children and adults when it replaces other, more active pursuits, such as walking, biking, or simply playing outdoors. All television shows, even educational non-commercial shows, replace physical activity. And watching TV is a sedentary activity that causes the metabolic rate to go even lower than when one is at rest. This means that you can burn more calories by just sitting quietly and doing nothing than you can when you sit and watch TV.
Finally, TV leads to obesity in children and adults because of the foods that are typically consumed when one is watching TV. Most people tend to snack while watching TV, choosing junk foods that are convenient to eat in front of the television.
Turn A New Leaf
Now that you know how TV leads to obesity in children, help your kids turn off the TV and turn up their weight loss goals by following these easy tips:
Set A Good Example: Children learn from watching what we do rather than listening to what we say. If the parents spend a lot of time in front of the TV, the children will too.
Set Limits: It’s OK to introduce restrictions on the amount of time they spend in front of the tube.
Get Moving: Get your kids active by making exercise a family activity. Take a walk around the block, go for a hike, or get up and dance. Any kind of activity will benefit your child more than watching television.
Give Them Support: A nutritional supplements can give your child the extra boost they need to support their weight loss goals. As with any supplement, be sure to consult your health care practitioner beforehand. This is especially true in the case of children with weight issues.
