Does Television Influence Children's Nutrition?

by Lashell Hoover | More from this Blogger

05 Mar 2007 11:20 PM

In an effort to prevent childhood obesity, the American Heart Association recommends limiting video and television viewing for children to no more than a couple of hours daily. They do not recommend putting a television set in children's rooms. And, they also suggest urging children to play or to engage in some other physical activity for an hour each day.

Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not letting children view television until the age of 2? They suggest limiting viewing time to 2 hours daily after age 2.

During a study, Harvard researchers found that long periods of video and television viewing by children was related to their consumption of additional sugary beverages. Furthermore, their food was lacking in nutritional value. They ate less fruits and vegetables. An increase in sugar, plus extra calories, and lack of exercise is a recipe for weight gain. Researchers were not certain whether television ads influenced children's choices of drinks and food. They just noted that there was a relationship between television viewing, consuming a lot of sugary drinks, and eating less nutritious food.

It has been my experience that television has a powerful influence over children. They tend to want the things that they see. As a kid, I loved Cap'n Crunch cereal. It had nothing to do with flavor. I liked the Captain and his boat. Frosted Flakes was another cereal I craved because it had a cool tiger on the box. Children need to be educated about nutrition at an early age, so they will grow up to make better food choices. It's not good for anyone to sit in front of a television and eat.

Play is a good way for children to get the exercise they need. Riding bicycles, playing tag, or jumping rope really gets them moving. Even the littlest ones can benefit from exercise. I took my three month old cousin to an infant and toddler play group and it was fun singing songs and dancing. He sort of rocked to the music, while lying on his belly. His little head moved all around as some of the toddlers crawled about the play mat. The group leader moved at a fast pace to keep them interested. It was high energy.

Learn more about Lashell Hoover

Lashell Hoover lives in Maryland with her husband, three children, and beloved pets. A former SAHM, she is currently a full-time university student. She enjoys writing, reading, music, art, and life.

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Katie-Anne Gustafsson (604) 07 Mar 2007 03:20 AM

I guess Havard researchers aren't that familiar with "The Wiggles" and other videos for youngsters. My kids don't get stuff to eat and drink (actually they mostly drink milk or water if they're thirsty) when they're watching TV, nor did I as a child (or even now as an adult - whilst I don't let the boys watch that much TV and they do spend a lot of time doing other forms of play, I have to wonder if they considered how much of the TV unhealthy eating/drinking is more of a parental choice rather than a TV problem. I know it's easy to blame the parents for everything, but it's equally easy to blame the TV - and in this case, the TV doesn't buy and distribute the food and drink.

Ken (15) 13 Mar 2007 05:09 PM

I saw some statistics the other day that suggested that this generation of children is the first generation that may not outlive their parents. That's scary. TV is not evil, but sometimes it's so easy. I find myself zoning out in front of the TV sometimes. I have had to cut back cable time. If I sit down to watch, it's always something that I can stop and start again later. I think that 2 hours a day is too much!