Children's television and nutrition

The prevalence of overweight children, and hours of television viewed are positively correlated^1,2. Causality may include greater periods of inactivity and exposure to food advertising and product placement while watching television. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of 2 hours of non-educational television viewing per day for children over 2 years³. However, recent evidence suggests that children aged 6-11 years watch 24.5 hours of television weekly⁴. A healthy and balanced diet provides the recommended amounts of nutrients and other food components to promote normal growth and development, reduce chronic disease risk, and foster appropriate energy balance and a healthy weight trajectory. But the current eating regimes of children and adolescents differ markedly from recommended patterns and increase their risks of obesity and poor health⁵. Obesity is associated with increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, lower life expectancy and poor quality of life scores^6-8.