Battling Obesity In Children Means Limiting TV Time
Doctors Say Screen Time Should Be Limited To 2 Hours Per Day
POSTED: 1:03 pm CDT June 22, 2006
UPDATED: 2:01 pm CDT June 22, 2006
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As health experts tackle the problem of child obesity, televison time is taking a hit, KMBC's Kelly Eckerman reported.
Studies show that for every hour a child spends staring at the screen, their risk of becoming obese grows by 6 percent.
"The more TV viewed or the more screen time a child has, the more likely they are to become overweight. So there's a clear correlation between weight and screen time," said Edy Heydinger of Children's Mercy Hospital.
Eckerman reported that two out of three children now have a television in their bedroom, and the average child spends five hours a day watching TV or spending time on the computer.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said that time should be limited to two hours and children under 2 years old should not be exposed to any television.
"Kids can be exposed to 10,000 commercials in a two-month period, so that constant messaging creates an environment for unhealthy eating and unhealthy choices in terms of food and drink," Heydinger said.
When your children are watching TV or playing video games, encourage those with physical interaction, such as shows or games that get kids up and moving.
Lindsey Sowden said she limits her children's television time to one hour a day. She said that she also watches for content.
"I like to know what shows my kids are watching. I've been happy with shows like 'Sesame Street' and 'Wiggles' and 'Dora The Explorer.' They've been real positive shows for my kids," Sowden said.
Eckerman reported that studies also show that children eat more while watching television than they do during other activities.
Article
Linear Mode
