Television & Weight
Gain
Combat Weight Gain By Cutting Down On TV!
Television is one of the America’s most popular entertainments.
Every night, millions of viewers tune in to catch their favorite
program on the television. Today, screens are getting bigger,reality
shows are proliferating, and inevitably television has quickly
become the top source of information for the average American.
However, they have been some disadvantages being linked to
the television. It has promoted reading problems in children,
attention deficit disorder, and crime. It’s been known
as the ultimate time-waster, and with research suggesting
that television may also cause weight gain in children.
A study conducted at Stanford University a few years ago
showed that children who reduced the amount of time they spent
watching television appeared to be slimmer than those who
did not limit their viewing time. Since the obesity among
young children is becoming more and more serious, television
time is now a significant public health concern. The study
has also pointed out that children who are overweight are
at greater risk of suffering from heart disease and hypertension.
Hence, anything that promotes weight gain should be eliminated
from children’s lives, and television is certainly one
of the factors.
For majority of children, watching TV involves more than
just viewing cartoons. It also means playing video games,
watching music videos, watching videotapes, and general channel
surfing. It is estimated that the average American spends
averagely 4 hours on television daily. Children’s dependence
on television may be difficult to break, given the fact that
television is playing a big role being part of the American
culture.
The reason why television is linked to obesity is because
it promotes inactivity. Most of the people prefer to watch
television by lounging on a sofa, bed, or futon. Also, when
they couch on the sofa, they are not doing any physical exercises.
Television promotes a sedentary lifestyle which eventuall
leads to additional weight gain.
So, how can we effectively fight television? Some families
decided to throw out their TVs in the ultimate show of defiance.
But, if you are not ready for this step yet, you can try limiting
your family’s viewing time to a single hour each day.
Another good idea would be bringing your children to engage
in sports, games, and other activities. Forcing your children
to plan their viewing can be another effective step so they
will not waste precious time cruising through the TV channels.
In fact, we should not blame solely on television for children
obesity although the medical research has now shown it is
a contributing factor. There are also statistics that excessive
computer use can also contribute to weight gain. And, this
might be the major health issue of the future, since more
and more children are spending a lot of time doing their research
on line and completing their reports on computer.
As a parent, you need to be actively involved in your kids’
lives to make sure that they maintain a healthy weight. Keep
an eye on what they watch and what they eat. By requiring
your children to eat at the dining room table instead of in
front of the television can make sure that they do not overeat
and digest their food properly. Ultimately, being involved
in your children’s weight reduction program is the key
to make sure that they are healthy.
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