Optimal Health University™
Presented by ChiropracticUSA
Television and Your Child’s Health
The average child or adolescent spends more than 17 hours per week in front of the television. What impact does this habit have on a youngster’s well-being? According to Dr. Edelson, occasional viewing of age-appropriate programs doesn’t appear to be harmful. However, excessive TV watching can have a serious negative influence on a child’s health. As a prevention specialist, Dr. Edelson is always up to date on research regarding potential health risks, including childhood TV viewing. Talk to Dr. Edelson about this and other childhood health risks.
Mixed Medication Messages
Prime-time television is flooded with snazzy commercials promoting prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. Chiropractors, like Dr. Edelson, are extremely concerned about the messages these ads are sending children, who are more trusting of suspect claims than are adults. These campaigns imply that regular medication use is “no big deal.” What’s more, many commercials like medication use with an active and sophisticated lifestyle. Dr. Edelson urges parents to consider that this constant barrage of drug commercials may be teaching their children to turn to medications with potentially hazardous side effects, rather than to focus on prevention.
Couch Potato Problems
Obesity puts children at risk for a myriad of ailments later in life, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and several cancers. Fortunately, simply reducing the amount of time your little on spends in front of the tube can prevent him or her from becoming a couch potato, a sure way to put on pounds, according to a recent report.
Investigators tracked 192 third- and fourth-grade students from September 1996 to April 1997. An experimental group participated in a six month curriculum aimed at cutting television, videotape and video game use, while control subjects did not receive such training.
Students in the experimental group engaged in less television viewing and ate fewer meals while watching TV, compared with controls. What’s more, children in the intervention cohort ere much less likely to gain excessive weight than were the control participants (Journal of the American Medical Association 1999; 282: 1561-7).
TV: Enemy of the Sandman
A 1999 report in the electronic edition of the journal Pediatrics reveals that television viewing may disturbed a child’s sleeping patterns.
Investigators pooled data on 495 youngsters in kindergarten though fourth grade. A positive dose-response relationship was found between TV viewing and sleep problems. Specifically, watching the tube triggered resistance to going to bed, delayed onset of sleep, anxiety about sleep and shortened sleep duration. Children with TV sets in their bedrooms demonstrated the highest risk of sleep disturbances, say researchers (Pediatrics 1999; 104:e27).
TV/Teen Drinking Link
Watching TV is also associated with an increased risk of alcohol abuse among teenagers , according to a recent report. A total of 1,533 ninth-grades were enrolled in the 18-month trial. All students attended public schools in San Jose, California.
The study showed that for each hour of television viewing per day, the risk of starting to drink alcohol jumped 9%. And, for each hour of music-video viewing per day, the risk rocketed to 31%. However, watching video movies – or playing with computer video games – was not associated with an increased likelihood o f alcohol use (Pediatrics 1998 Nov; 102:e54).
What the link between teen drinking and TV? Experts point to sexy marketing campaigns promoting alcohol and a widespread glorification by the media.
Psychological Effects of TV
Whether or not TV viewing leads to violent or aggressive behavior is a point of hot debate. While more research is necessary before a firm link may be established, preliminary evidence suggests that watching several hours per day may aggravate behavioral problems.
Investigators at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio surveyed 2,245 students in grades three through 11 about their TV-viewing habits and their behavior. The study concluded that, “Heavy television viewing by children may indicate the presence of problems such as depression, anxiety, and violent behaviors; such viewing should be screened for by psychiatrists and other mental health professionals working with children” (J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1998; 37:1041-8). And a follow-up report found that subjects who watch violent programs are more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviors (Pediatrics 1999; 104:787-84).
Watching the tube can trigger other psychological ailments, including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been seen in young children who view news coverage of wars or other violent events. In addition, experts in child psychology warn that excessive TV watching may provoke attention disorders.
Re-evaluate the Role of TV in Your Household
Is TV playing a central role in your household? If so, consider cutting back on your family’s time in front of the tube. As with many things, moderation seems to be the key when it comes to TV viewing.
Fun TV Alternatives Your Kids Will Love
How can you tempt your children away from the TV? First, start slowly. Together with your family, choose one or two nights per week to designate as “TV-free time.” Replace TV watching with fun activities your children will look forward to. Below are several suggestions for TV alternatives taken from a survey chiropractors and their patients with “TV-free” homes.
Create a Craft Craze – Strolling the aisles of a local craft store can spur a plethora of creative ideas to keep your children occupied for hours. Or, consider letting your youngsters choose projects that spark their interest.
Get Cooking – Cooking together is a winning recipe for family fun. Not sure what dish to try? Consider baking bread. Kids love kneading dough and watching is rise, especially if you allow your little ones to shape their loafs into spirals, hearts or animal shapes.
Tell a Story – Nurture your children’s imagination by inviting them to tell a story. You may ask each child to create her own story to share, or tell a “circle story” by inviting each family member to contribute one sentence to the story at a time.
Get Out – Kids need a night out once in a while too. Consider incorporating a once-a-month bowling or miniature-golf outing into your family’s routine. You may even want to schedule tournaments with other family and friends.
Be a Star – Why not encourage your children to present a play or puppet show based on a story you reador make up together? Create a makeshift stage using bed sheets as curtains – and raid your attic and closets for creative costume ideas.
Our office policy: The patient and any other person responsible for payment has the right to cancel payment, or be reimbursed for payment for any other service, examination, or treatment which is performed as a result of an within 72 hours of responding to the advertisement for free service, examination or treatment.
1-352-346-2523