How TV and Video Games Lead to Childhood Obesity
TV and childhood obesity unfortunately go hand-in-hand. According to a speech made by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2007, parents need to turn off the television, remove the cookie jar, and get their kids actively moving.
America's weight problems have grown to an epidemic proportion, and over 15 percent of children are obese - that's compared with only 4 percent in the 1960s. What happened during the past four decades? Did our bodies change? No, actually it's our diets and lifestyles that have been modified.
Why TV is a Problem
Instead of playing outside in the afternoon, walking home, or staying late for after-school activities, kids are coming home and planting themselves in front of television and other sedentary-oriented technology.
According to a recent study by the Surgeon General's office, the average child spends roughly two hours each day vicariously "participating" in activities on TV. After 6 hours sitting in a classroom, that's far too long for a child to remain inactive.
A lack of exercise and poor diet are the two major causes of childhood obesity. For most people, it's not a health issue or genetic problem at the core - rather, it's simply a lack of physical activity.
Unfortunately, watching television just isn't exercise (don't we wish!), which is why TV and childhood obesity are such dangerous partners. Kids need to be up and moving, whether playing a game, running outside with friends, riding their bikes, or having fun with a video game like Wii Fit which gets the body moving.
Another reason why watching TV can lead to weight gain is that food consumed while doing so or playing video games tends to be consumed in greater quantities.
Because the brain is occupied, children often don't receive the signals that they are full or that their hunger is satisfied until well after too much food has been eaten. Such over-eating will inevitably lead to undesirable weight gain.
Taking TV Out of the Equation
It may be emotionally difficult at first, but try to limit your child's television watching, video game playing, and computer time to about one hour total per day on school days and two-to-three hours per day on the weekend.
To fend off boredom, enroll your child in extracurricular activities such as soccer, baseball, judo, karate, dance, camping, or any other physical exertion that is both engaging and away from the TV. "Engaging" is the key. The activity must be something your child enjoys, otherwise he or she will eventually quit.
To begin, sit down with your child and a copy of your local community center's program guide or pamphlets from nearby sports companies. Ask what activities spark sufficient interest to try. Then do it.
Family Patterns
To reduce the impact of television watching on your child's weight, initiate a family rule - adhered to by all family members, including parents - that there is to be no eating in front of the TV. Television and childhood obesity correlate so well together mostly because people tend to both overeat and eat health-deficient snacks while watching the tube.
Instead, adjust family habits to eat all your meals and snacks at the dinner table or in the kitchen. Try your best to get buy-in from each family member so that there is a unified approach to home traditions that impact health.