TV and Obesity in Children

Watching TV can encourage childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity is reaching epic proportions. According to the Institute of Medicine, in the past 30 years, obesity rates in U.S. preschool children have tripled and, among 6 to 11 year olds, the rate has quadrupled. One third of American children are now obese or at risk of becoming obese, with an increase in the chances of suffering diabetes, heart problems and strokes into their adult lives.

Too Much TV

Many children watch hours of TV every day.

The massive increase in children's TV viewing is thought to be a significant factor in this rise. In his research, Thomas N Robinson, M.D. found that children spend a huge portion of their lives watching television--many watching more than four hours a day. Robinson concluded that watching TV leads to childhood obesity in three different ways: it keeps children from doing something more physical, their resting metabolism is reduced (they actually use fewer calories watching TV than sitting doing nothing), and they eat more high-calorie foods while watching.

Five-Year Study

Robinson found that children eat more high-calorie, low-nutrition foods when watching commercial TV with advertisements for such products. A recent study at the University of California -- Los Angeles confirmed this link. Frederick J Zimmerman, Ph.D., and Janice F Bell, Ph.D., monitored 3,563 children, from infants to 12, through diaries kept by their care providers. After five years, the children who watched more commercial TV had significantly higher Body Mass Index (BMI) levels than those who had watched more educational TV and DVDs.

Junk Food Commercials

Most children's TV food adverts are for food with poor nutritional value

Zimmerman and Bell found that by the time a child reaches their fifth birthday they will have seen more than 4,000 TV food advertisements every year, and that during a typical Saturday-morning-cartoon session, children watch an average of one food commercial every five minutes. As the vast majority of these commercials--up to 95 percent claim Zimmerman and Bell--are for food with poor nutritional value, including sugary cereals, snacks, fast food and soda pop, the impact on the viewing child's diet is chronic.

Latino Children

Pediatricians are concerned about the link between TV and childhood obesity.

Pediatricians at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center investigated the impact of Spanish-language commercial TV channels on Latino children, who make up one-fifth of the U.S. child population and have the highest levels of obesity amongst ethnic groups. They too found a significant link between high levels of viewing these advertisement-heavy channels and childhood obesity. To help counteract the effect, researchers at Johns Hopkins recommend all children watch no more than two hours of television a day and that caregivers discuss healthy food with their children.

Prevention/Solution

Zimmerman and Bell concluded that instead of carers just trying to limit the amount of TV their children watch, they should become more in tune with the content. They should encourage children to watch less commercial TV and steer them toward educational programming and DVDs (although the rise in product placement in movies is a growing concern). Zimmerman and Bell also claim that by talking to children about advertising, and how it encourages them to eat junk food, children will become more aware and able to make healthier choices, leading to leaner and healthier lives.

References

• TV Viewing and Childhood Obesity
• Associations of Television Content Type and Childhood Obesity
• Johns Hopkins: Child Obesity Seen As Fueled By Spanish Language TV Ads