Childhood Obesity: Is total TV watching time the problem, or is it the commercials?
By: Dean Anderson,
DailySpark Blogger
2/11/2010 5:23 AM
: 112 comments
: 12,411 Views
It’s been documented for quite a while that there’s a strong link between TV watching and obesity in children. The assumption has usually been that the time a child spends watching TV reduces the time spent on physical activity, but this new research indicates things may not be this simple.
When researchers from UCLA recently studied the TV and video viewing activities of 2000 children, they found that there was no association at all between viewing time and obesity for those children who watched videos or other commercial-free programs. But that picture changed when children were watching programs that included commercials. Researchers found that the more commercials the child was exposed to, the more likely it was that the child would be obese. This was especially true for children under 7.
This study wasn’t able to document how much of the advertising watched by the children was specifically food advertising, or exactly how food commercials influenced eating habits or weight. Obviously, younger children don’t usually do their own grocery shopping or meal planning—but they can make grocery shopping and healthy family meals pretty contentious and difficult when they’ve got their minds set on the products they see on TV, especially after they get a taste of them. Sometimes it can feel like the only way to get them to eat anything at all is to let them have the fast food or sugary food they want.
Recognizing the power of advertising to influence the health, eating habits and weight of young children, the national Better Business Bureau recently established a program aimed at getting major food producers to adopt appropriate guidelines for advertising their products to children. The program urges companies to establish voluntary nutritional standards for products that can be advertised directly to children under 12, and monitors how well companies implement and abide by these standards. You can check out these guidelines and performance results at the BBB’s website.
What do you think about this? Do you believe that food commercials play an important role in childhood obesity? If you have young kids, do you restrict their commercial-viewing time?
When researchers from UCLA recently studied the TV and video viewing activities of 2000 children, they found that there was no association at all between viewing time and obesity for those children who watched videos or other commercial-free programs. But that picture changed when children were watching programs that included commercials. Researchers found that the more commercials the child was exposed to, the more likely it was that the child would be obese. This was especially true for children under 7.
This study wasn’t able to document how much of the advertising watched by the children was specifically food advertising, or exactly how food commercials influenced eating habits or weight. Obviously, younger children don’t usually do their own grocery shopping or meal planning—but they can make grocery shopping and healthy family meals pretty contentious and difficult when they’ve got their minds set on the products they see on TV, especially after they get a taste of them. Sometimes it can feel like the only way to get them to eat anything at all is to let them have the fast food or sugary food they want.
Recognizing the power of advertising to influence the health, eating habits and weight of young children, the national Better Business Bureau recently established a program aimed at getting major food producers to adopt appropriate guidelines for advertising their products to children. The program urges companies to establish voluntary nutritional standards for products that can be advertised directly to children under 12, and monitors how well companies implement and abide by these standards. You can check out these guidelines and performance results at the BBB’s website.
What do you think about this? Do you believe that food commercials play an important role in childhood obesity? If you have young kids, do you restrict their commercial-viewing time?
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Comments
Having It Your Way does NOT have to mean downing bazillions of calories!
Soapbox Dismount...! :-)
Don - 5/28/2011 12:01:59 AM
So, we have a rule in our house--we don't buy anything we've seen advertised on kid TV. Exceptions made for toilet paper and other necessities and anything that the kids want to spend their own money on. This has led to some good discussions about the ways companies try to imply more than they can actually claim and what really makes us want things that we see advertised. Come to think of it, these are good considerations for making food choices too, so maybe the correlation comes from an increase in impulsive decision making?
- 5/20/2010 1:40:23 PM
I usually try to limit my daughter's viewing to PBS or NickJR, neither of which has commercials. But sometimes she wants to watch a show that's on another Nick channel. At the end of the show, she comes away singing the ChuckECheese commercial! Nothing about the show itself!
-Tanya
- 4/3/2010 8:24:45 AM
I certainly wouldn't blame commercials or fast foods eateries.
Turn the TV off; don't drive them to McDonalds; serve them wholesome foods. - 2/17/2010 12:38:15 PM
I love my DVR. I've gotten sick of all those commercials trying to manipulate me. Best to avoid them or just turn off the TV. - 2/16/2010 1:45:10 PM
So, now, the blame is on watching TV or commercials? Much of the obesity problem is caused by the foods that are eaten. I believe poor nutrition is the problem. We have the food industry altering the food we eat it is getting more and more difficult to find food, "real food", on the grocery store shelves. If children are obese, then the problem is most likely the parents because they are the ones responsible for the children's food and exercise.
Just my opinion.
- 2/14/2010 9:30:21 AM
They spend way to much time watching tv or playing video games. When they are involved in some activity or sport, they have someone telling them what to do. We have truley lost some life training by not letting childern do free play where they become inventive, use their imaginations, and develope problem solving skills. tEven he class books incourage dependance on others for information.
My childern are all grown two of the three have families of their own, so it is up to you who have childern at home. Let them play more, look up their definitions, do their own research, limit their indoor activitites. I understand this is hard with everyones scheldues, neighborhoods, ect. You can do this!! Sit with your spouse and work it out, make it a priorty. They will complain at first, but you will see a positive chang in your childern.
- 2/14/2010 9:12:05 AM
Yeah, call me a cynic.
- 2/14/2010 6:09:21 AM
Fast forward 4 years- he starts to watch Nick and Disney and Cartoon Network. Once he hit those stations, he wanted everything in the commercials. As a matter of fact, he likes the commercials better than the shows.
I totally agree with this study. - 2/13/2010 10:26:40 AM
- 2/13/2010 8:12:40 AM
Within 20 years, Ray Kroc had franchised thousands of these money makers and was using national coverage to draw children and to promise mom and dad that the same quality they had at their local McDonald's was available from coast to coast (Ray Kroc was better than any drill sergeant I ever encountered, because if a franchise wasn't living up to McDonald standards, they had 90 days to get in shape or the company revoked the franchise and brought in a special team to run the operation. Only AFTER every employee from the previous franchisee had rotated out was the franchise put up for re-sale).
The Ronald McDonald ads covered every station on Saturdays that had children's shows and the ads were a blatant plea to the kids to bring mommy and daddy to Mickey D's.
The ads at night were much more sophisticated and touted consistency of product and cleanliness (never actual saying 'this is the place for clean bathrooms', but close).
If you were on a trip away from your home area and had little children with you and asked, "Where should we eat lunch?" - the answer from the children was a loud "McDonald's!" And softly, putting her vote in behind the children's was moms choice - "Oh, they always have such clean bathrooms". Dad never knew what hit him.
It's now been three generations since I worked at one of the original McDonald's (now a National Historic Landmark in Downey, CA).
The McDonald's plan is working better and better, despite the huge increase in competition.
It's the ads! - 2/13/2010 1:28:07 AM
and now I am Freeeeeeeeeeeeee! - 2/12/2010 10:12:09 PM
My children are grown now. But, when they were growing up I did limit the TV. However, they still managed to see what the latest was. McDonald's didn't need commercials.. they just saw Ronald McDonald (the clown) and playground, then wanted to go. - 2/12/2010 3:50:09 PM
With the Economy the way it is fewer Parents are paying fees for Child Care and Sport activities that mean spending more money they just don't have and resorting to leaving their children unattended. - 2/12/2010 1:17:51 PM
Parents have control of the television. They can turn off the TV any time they want. the problem is that parents have become so busy, that the TV has become the baby sitter in many households. My personal opinion is that parents should encourage their children to get away from the TV, the video games and the computer. They should encourage their children to read.
This is why I LOVE the Harry Potter books ! A new Harry Potter book meant that child was reading and well as socializing with other kids reading that book. No child or adult should sit infront of the TV or computer all day. get out, take a walk, find ways that improve your mind.
I enjoy watching TV as much as the next person, but I also read regularly. I do things that stimulate my mind. that's what kids need. they need something that stimulates their minds and grows brain cells, not fat cells.
I do think limiting the amount of TV will make a difference.
- 2/12/2010 10:34:20 AM
- 2/12/2010 10:15:29 AM
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