Children's television and nutrition

Abstract

The prevalence of overweight children, and hours of television viewed are positively correlated1,2. Causality may include greater periods of inactivity and exposure to food advertising and product placement while watching television. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of 2 hours of non-educational television viewing per day for children over 2 years3. However, recent evidence suggests that children aged 6-11 years watch 24.5 hours of television weekly4. A healthy and balanced diet provides the recommended amounts of nutrients and other food components to promote normal growth and development, reduce chronic disease risk, and foster appropriate energy balance and a healthy weight trajectory. But the current eating regimes of children and adolescents differ markedly from recommended patterns and increase their risks of obesity and poor health5. Obesity is associated with increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, lower life expectancy and poor quality of life scores6-8.