03/12/09
Too much TV bad for kids
New Australian research confirms that childhood TV viewing leads to lifelong health risks
Parents’ fears that too much television viewing is associated with lifelong health risks have been confirmed by new research which shows that adults who watched five hours of TV a day as teens were still making the same poor eating choices five years later.
A recent research paper, "Does television viewing predict dietary intake five years later in high school students and young adults?" published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, says that the damage doesn’t stop when the TV is turned off.
“We know that too much TV is associated with poor health, as teenagers are sitting still and are more likely to be having too many salty snacks and sugary drinks,” said Professor of Public Health, Adrian Bauman of the University of Sydney, commenting on the new US research.
“This research shows us that habits formed during teenage years last into adulthood. We all need to work out how to find opportunities to be active that are time neutral in busy lives.
“We can’t make extra time to be active, but it might be possible to substitute television watching with walking the dog, or taking the opportunity to walk around whenever we find ourselves standing still, even for a few minutes.”
Prof Bauman recommended familles turn off the TV and indulge in some physical activity, such as:
Kicking a footy around, rollerblading or a game of cricket;
Going on a family bike ride;
Taking your dog (or the neighbour’s dog) for a walk, every day;
Try a new activity as a family like martial arts or rock climbing;
Walking to school with your children or parking further from the school and walking part of the way; and
Walking around the field while cheering on your children playing sport
With Australian data showing that fewer than a third of Australians aged 15 years and over participate in regular leisure time physical activity at least twice a week, the Australian Government together with state and territory governments are encouraging everyone to increase their level of physical activity to help minimise their risk of chronic disease.
In accordance with The National Physical Activity Guidelines, the Measure Up campaign recommends adults undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days, and children aged 5 to 18 a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day .
Low levels of physical activity are a major risk factor for ill health and mortality from all causes. People who do not undertake sufficient amounts of physical activity have a greater risk of lifestyle related chronic diseases such as some cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Being active not only reduces your risk of these chronic diseases, it also gives you more energy and helps you sleep better.
More information and tips on getting active, including a ‘How physically active are you?’ quiz can be found on the Measure Up website http://www.measureup.gov.au/internet/abhi/publishing.nsf/Content/Home.
A recent research paper, "Does television viewing predict dietary intake five years later in high school students and young adults?" published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, says that the damage doesn’t stop when the TV is turned off.
“We know that too much TV is associated with poor health, as teenagers are sitting still and are more likely to be having too many salty snacks and sugary drinks,” said Professor of Public Health, Adrian Bauman of the University of Sydney, commenting on the new US research.
“This research shows us that habits formed during teenage years last into adulthood. We all need to work out how to find opportunities to be active that are time neutral in busy lives.
“We can’t make extra time to be active, but it might be possible to substitute television watching with walking the dog, or taking the opportunity to walk around whenever we find ourselves standing still, even for a few minutes.”
Prof Bauman recommended familles turn off the TV and indulge in some physical activity, such as:
Kicking a footy around, rollerblading or a game of cricket;
Going on a family bike ride;
Taking your dog (or the neighbour’s dog) for a walk, every day;
Try a new activity as a family like martial arts or rock climbing;
Walking to school with your children or parking further from the school and walking part of the way; and
Walking around the field while cheering on your children playing sport
With Australian data showing that fewer than a third of Australians aged 15 years and over participate in regular leisure time physical activity at least twice a week, the Australian Government together with state and territory governments are encouraging everyone to increase their level of physical activity to help minimise their risk of chronic disease.
In accordance with The National Physical Activity Guidelines, the Measure Up campaign recommends adults undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days, and children aged 5 to 18 a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day .
Low levels of physical activity are a major risk factor for ill health and mortality from all causes. People who do not undertake sufficient amounts of physical activity have a greater risk of lifestyle related chronic diseases such as some cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Being active not only reduces your risk of these chronic diseases, it also gives you more energy and helps you sleep better.
More information and tips on getting active, including a ‘How physically active are you?’ quiz can be found on the Measure Up website http://www.measureup.gov.au/internet/abhi/publishing.nsf/Content/Home.
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