Television and Childhood Obesity Essay Example

obesity is the consumption of calories while watching television. While TV has been primarily implicated in the surge of obesity rates among children, research suggests that it is not the sole problem. Roughly 20 percent of a child's calorie intake takes place during TV viewing. It is crucial for parents to monitor their children's food consumption when they are watching television.

(Norton, 2004 p. 1) Research indicates that while there is some uncertainty regarding the link between television and overweight children, those surveyed consumed around 17-18% of their weekday calories and a quarter of their weekend day calories while watching TV. To effectively combat childhood obesity, it is important to not only turn off the television but also incorporate more fruits and vegetables into diets and reduce consumption of fast food and sugary beverages.

Children are increasingly spending more time in front of computers and televisions due to the wide range of media options available today. Numerous studies have shown a strong link between the promotion of unhealthy food items through advertising and the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. Research indicates that children as young as six can differentiate between advertisements and regular programming, but those aged eight or younger do not fully comprehend the persuasive motives behind advertising. It is important to mention that children exhibit impressive memory recall for television commercials they have viewed and can form a preference for a product after only one exposure.

Repeated exposure to product commercials has a profound influence on children, persuading them to favor a specific product. As a result, parents are influenced by their children's preferences when making purchasing decisions, often leading to the acquisition of unhealthy foods.

Unfortunately, health foods like fruits and vegetables are rarely promoted in advertisements. They account for only one percent of all food advertising targeted at children. Although research has not definitively determined how different forms of media impact children's food choices, there is a belief that media should take greater responsibility in advertising to children by increasing messages that promote healthy nutrition and physical fitness. Another factor directly contributing to childhood obesity is sleep deprivation.

Children who got insufficient sleep during the week and also stayed up late on the weekend had three times higher odds of obesity. This raises the inquiry, "What do children engage in when they are not sleeping?" (whyweight.com February 24, 2011). Unsurprisingly, the answer to this inquiry is that they are occupied with playing video games, watching TV, and consuming excessive amounts of unhealthy food. Insufficient sleep negatively impacts the metabolism and endocrine system of growing children.

Insufficient sleep disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, impacting regulation of hunger and appetite hormones. It also affects control of glucose and insulin, as well as energy utilization controlled by cortisol. Higher levels of cortisol are linked to increased BMI and insulin resistance.

It is recommended that children should receive enough sleep to prevent obesity caused by overeating. To achieve optimal sleep, it is suggested that children under five aim for at least 11 hours a day, those aged five to 10 aim for at least 10 hours, and children over 10 aim for a minimum of nine hours. Studies have indicated that increasing sleep duration by one hour reduces the risk of childhood obesity by nine percent. Adequate sleep not only lowers the risk of obesity

but also helps prevent other health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Therefore, while television commercials may target children as consumers, they cannot be solely blamed for childhood obesity since factors like sleep are equally important.

The primary causes of childhood obesity include lack of exercise from video gaming, snacking during TV viewing, and inadequate sleep.

References

1. The impact of food advertising on childhood obesity. (n. d. ). Retrieved from www. apa. org/print-this. aspx A growing problem.

(2011, November 28). Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html.

(2008, February 7). Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Reduced Sleep Can Increase Childhood Obesity Risk.

The information in this text was obtained from ScienceDaily, available at http:/www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207104303. The retrieval date was February 19, 2012.

htm Norton, A. (2004, June).

(n. d. ).

The text below is from the website blog.whyweight.com/childhood-obesity-and-sleep-deprivation/.