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TV and Your Child’s Health

By on November 21, 2012

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, but….when a group of researchers recently reviewed 12 studies in which the relationship between television viewing and diet was assessed in children between the ages of 2 and 6….”all but one study reported significant relationship between television viewing time and adverse dietary outcomes“.

  • More tv viewing = less fruit & vegetable consumption
  • More tv viewing = increased caloric consumption

And as if this wasn’t bad enough…the researchers concluded that these “adverse dietary outcomes occurred with as little as 1 hour of daily television exposure“.

1 HOUR!!!

kids exercise tv TV and Your Childs Health

The message to parents?

Stop plunking your three year old down in front of the tv.

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Doug Robb is a personal trainer, a fitness blogger and author, a competitive athlete, and a student of nutrition and exercise science. Since 2008, Doug has expanded his impact by bringing his real-world experience online via his health & fitness blog, Health Habits. Read more posts by Doug at Hive Health Media.
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5 Comments

  1. Guy Lambert (@SohoGuy)

    September 14, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    I suspect the lack of fruit and veg is more to do with the general lifestyle of those who are happy to dump their kids in front of a telly and ignore them, than it is necessarily the ‘fault’ of television shows.

    Reply

  2. E.Results Fittness (@EResultsFittnes)

    September 12, 2012 at 10:06 am

    Was less consumption of fruit and vegetables a result of less of them being advertised during commercial breaks?

    Reply

    • healthhabits

      September 12, 2012 at 10:20 am

      This study was just crunching numbers…so we end up with a correlation, but I would guess that you’re probably right. Lots of commercials for crap food and none for healthy food just might have an impact on little Susie screaming for a big bowl of Sugar Smacks.

      Reply

      • Lawrence Thomas

        September 12, 2012 at 8:42 pm

        Correlation does not equal causation….

        Reply

        • healthhabits

          September 14, 2012 at 7:27 am

          Agree 100%…but ignoring correlations doesn’t reverse childhood obesity, metabolic syndrome, etc….

          Reply

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