Watching too much TV affects children's diet
A study of American middle school students found that children who spend too much time in front of the television have an overall poorer diet.
Previous studies have linked long hours of television watching with childhood obesity, possibly because children are less active and eat more. "The more time children spend watching television, the less likely they are to eat fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, and the more likely they are to eat candy, drink soda, eat fast food, and skip breakfast," said the study's authors.
However, another author of the study described the issue as complex. In some cases, for example, more active boys might also prefer to watch television.
To better understand how television watching affects diet, researchers examined survey data from more than 12,600 American students in grades 5-10, with an average age of 13, from 2009 to 2010. The study found that children who watch more television are more likely to eat candy and fast food and skip breakfast. Additionally, dietary habits showed a worsening trend based on age, gender, and race. Unhealthy dietary habits were more common among older students than younger students, among boys than girls, and among Black or Hispanic students than White students. On the positive side, children who eat a lot while watching television also tend to eat a lot of fruit (in addition to eating a lot of candy, soda, and fast food).