In an effort to prevent childhood obesity, the American Heart Association recommends limiting video and television viewing for children to no more than a couple of hours daily. They do not recommend putting a television set in children’s rooms. And, they also suggest urging children to play or to engage in some other physical activity for an hour each day.
Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not letting children view television until the age of 2? They suggest limiting viewing time to 2 hours daily after age 2.
During a study, Harvard researchers found that long periods of video and television viewing by children was related to their consumption of additional sugary beverages. Furthermore, their food was lacking in nutritional value. They ate less fruits and vegetables. An increase in sugar, plus extra calories, and lack of exercise is a recipe for weight gain. Researchers were not certain whether television ads influenced children’s choices of drinks and food. They just noted that there was a relationship between television viewing, consuming a lot of sugary drinks, and eating less nutritious food.
It has been my experience that television has a powerful influence over children. They tend to want the things that they see. As a kid, I loved Cap’n Crunch cereal. It had nothing to do with flavor. I liked the Captain and his boat. Frosted Flakes was another cereal I craved because it had a cool tiger on the box. Children need to be educated about nutrition at an early age, so they will grow up to make better food choices. It’s not good for anyone to sit in front of a television and eat.
Play is a good way for children to get the exercise they need. Riding bicycles, playing tag, or jumping rope really gets them moving. Even the littlest ones can benefit from exercise. I took my three month old cousin to an infant and toddler play group and it was fun singing songs and dancing. He sort of rocked to the music, while lying on his belly. His little head moved all around as some of the toddlers crawled about the play mat. The group leader moved at a fast pace to keep them interested. It was high energy.