What’s The Most Fattening Item In Your House?*Volume 17, No. 1, Winter 2009
What’s The Most Fattening Item In Your House?* By George Heufelder, MS, RS, Director,
Barnstable County Department of Health & Environment
What if I told you that there was a simple exercise that takes less that one second per day and can reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce body fat and increase your general state of well being?
What if I told you this exercise requires no special equipment, and can save you money?
What if I told you this exercise can significantly reduce your child’s risk for obesity and the health issues that accompany this condition?
Have you guessed it yet?
Well, next time you are sitting in front of the television, reach over and take the remote firmly in your dominant hand, position your thumb over the power switch and depress once, gently.
I know, it may be a stretch to imply that television is a major cause of health problems described above. But consider some of the verifiable facts that surround this pastime and you decide whether they warrant changes in your leisure habits.
The American Journal of Public Health reports that female viewers registered almost twice the prevalence of obesity for those who admitted more than four hours of TV per day compared to those who watched less than one hour daily.
A University College in London study indicated that each additional hour over two hours that five-year-old children watch increases the risk of obesity at age 30 by seven percent.
And consider this. Almost any activity except sleeping involves more burning of calories than watching television.
Another factor could be that the messages often sent during viewing actually may promote overeating or unhealthy diets. A study in the Journal of Law and Economics estimated that a ban on fast-food advertisements during children’s programming alone would reduce the number of overweight children ages 3-11 by 18 percent while lowering the number of overweight adolescents by 14 percent. A Kaiser Family Foundation study reported that “the majority of ads targeted to kids are for candy, cereal and fast food.” The study further stated that 15.3 percent of children aged 6 to 11 were listed as overweight in 1999-2000, compared to 4.2 percent in 1963-1970.
How much viewing time is too much? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that preschool children two and up should spend no more than two hours a day watching television or using a computer. That’s one-third the number of hours per day that the television is on in a typical American home.
How about mental health and well being? Just consider that by the time TV-watching children on average finish elementary school, they will witness 8,000 murders, more than 100,000 advertisements, and countless other acts of violence.
Most parents would agree that the ultimate effect can’t be positive.
So, what to do? Throw out the television?
Hardly. But, as with many things in life, consider the proper balance. Examine your family viewing habits. Or, consider unplugging for one day or a week and substitute some family-oriented physical activity.
The average time parents spend each week in meaningful conversation with their children is 3.5 minutes. During that one unplugged hiatus, perhaps you could increase that quality communication time undistracted by a barrage of unhealthy commercials.