06/25/2013 // Concord, CA, USA // LifeCare123 // Eva Hvingelby // (press release)
Boys and girls who watch television while eating lunch or dinner have a higher risk of obesity, according to several research studies. There are a variety of theories about why kids who eat in front of the T.V. tend to be heavier than they should be for their age and height. For one, being focused on the television may result in mindless eating. Instead of paying attention to hunger or fullness signals, your child is distracted and consumes more calories than necessary. It’s also believed that advertising targeted at children may impact their food choices. Ads for burgers, chips, and soda make them crave higher calorie foods that have lower nutritional value. Researchers found that the more meals eaten in front of the T.V., the more likely it was that a child would gain those extra pounds.
Turn off the television and instead focus on quality family time during meals. If you are going to have the T.V. on, provide entertainment that does not include child targeted advertisements. Teach your child to pay attention to hunger signals, and stop eating as soon as they start to feel full.
Dubois L, Farmer A, Girard M, Peterson K. (2008) Social factors and television use during meals and snacks is associated with higher BMI among preschool children. Public Health Nutrition. 11:1267–1279.
Vik, F., Bjørnarå, H., Øverby, N., Lien. N., Androutsos, O., Maes, L. , Jan, N., Kovacs, E., Moreno, L., Dössegger, A., Manios, Y., Brug, J. and Bere, E. (2013). Associations between eating meals, watching TV while eating meals and weight status among children, ages 10–12 years in eight European countries: the ENERGY cross-sectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 10:58
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