Turn off the TV and turn on a healthier lifestyle

If left unchecked, these children run the risk of suffering from obesity related diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis, said Janice Hermann, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service nutrition specialist.

“One of the reasons children are gaining weight is due to watching more television and getting less exercise,” Hermann said. “Not only does watching television keep you sitting still for long periods of time, it also encourages an unhealthy diet. Commercials advertise unhealthy choices such as sugared cereal, candy and chips. One study recently documented 202 ads for junk food during four hours of Saturday morning cartoons. This is about eight commercials during every 10 minutes of airtime. The high-fat, high-sugar, high-salt diet promoted by commercials simply isn’t healthy.”

 Regular exercise has long been known to be a component of a healthy lifestyle. However, many people claim they are busy and do not have time to hit the gym. According to the Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 60 percent of Americans do not get enough exercise to stay healthy and 25 percent engage in no physical activity whatsoever.

 What people do not realize is that they probably have more time for physical activity than they realize. But where does the time come from? Debbie Richardson, OSU Cooperative Extension assistant parenting specialist, says to turn off the television.

“Children watch an average of three hours of television per day and adults account for four hours or more. Cutting back on TV viewing will allow families to spend more time to play outdoors, take a walk or participate in a sport,” she said. “Children are influenced by what their parents do and it’s important for parents to exercise more, eat better and watch less TV. Turning off the television provides the family with more bonding time.”

 The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 2 should not watch television. Older children should be limited to no more than two hours per day. However, children who regularly watch curriculum-education based programs have better problem-solving skills, language abilities and social skills.

Not only does television viewing take time away from the family, it also can affect a student’s grades. A recent study indicated that  52 percent of students who watch an hour or less per day achieve proficiency on reading tests. However, only 14 percent of students who watch TV six hours or more per day achieve proficiency.

“Reading scores diminished sharply for those students who watched more than four hours of TV per day,” Richardson said.

The average American household has 2.55 people and 2.73 televisions. About 50 percent of homes have at least three televisions or more and 19 percent of homes have only one TV. In 1975 only 11 percent of households had three or more TVs and 57 percent had just one.

Richardson suggests the following tips to help tame the tube:

• Avoid using the television as a babysitter.
• Know what your kids are watching.
• Set guidelines for what your children can watch.
• Decide, in advance, what is “good TV.”
• No television during meals.
• Encourage alternative activities, especially those that promote exercise.
• Create a television coupon system.
• Be a good role model by gaining control of your own television viewing.

“It may be an adjustment at first, but many families may discover that life with limited television viewing can be fun and rewarding,” Richardson said.

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Oklahoma State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, State and Local Governments Cooperating: The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or status as a veteran, and is an equal opportunity employer.

Trisha Gedon
Communications Specialist
Agricultural Communications Services
136 Printing Services Building
Stillwater, OK  74078
405-744-3625 (phone)
405-744-5739 (fax)
trisha.gedon@okstate.edu