Childhood obesity, defined by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile, affects between 10 and 20 percent of American children in 2010. Many factors lead to childhood obesity, including genetics, nutrition and activity level. Solving the problem of childhood obesity requires both the parents and child to commit to making healthy lifestyle changes.
TV Replaces Active Play
According to Dr. Robert Keith, Alabama Cooperative Extension Nutritionist, TV viewing has replaced active outdoor play for many kids. Rather than going outside to play basketball, kids prefer to stay indoors and watch TV or play video games to unwind. These more sedentary activities do not allow children to burn the calories they take in throughout the day.
Commercial Messages
A study conducted in 2010 by Frederick Zimmerman and Janice Bell concluded that some types of TV viewing were better than others in preventing childhood obesity. Commercial TV bombards children with ads that often promote unhealthy food choices such as soft drinks, fast food and sugary cereals. The study showed that children who watched mainly commercial TV shows were at greater risk of becoming obese than children who watched DVDs and other commercial-free programming.
Educational Programming
Kids today can choose from a wide variety of educational TV choices. Many educational programs avoid ads, or limit their ads to products that are aimed at parents rather than children. As an added benefit, many educational programs present examples of healthy food choices and active lifestyles.
Active Video Games
An obese child who is used to spending several hours each day watching TV and playing video games will resist parental efforts to eliminate their TV time. Active video games that require the child to move are a good way to encourage him to begin to change his sedentary habits. Instead of taking away his preferred activity, parents can use it to encourage healthy habits.
Watch TV Together
When parents watch TV with their kids, they have the opportunity to help their kids interpret ads and discuss their impact. This way, kids can develop critical thinking skills to filter out good and bad messages on food choices. Parents of an older child may enjoy watching cooking shows featuring fresh, healthy ingredients with their child, and involve the child in preparing the recipes demonstrated on the show.
References
- American Journal of Public Health; "Associations of Television Content Type and Obesity in Children"; Frederick Zimmerman, Janice Bell; February 2010
- CDC: Childhood Overweight And Obesity
- Alabama Cooperative Extension: Childhood Obesity
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