TV Ads Partly to Blame For Childhood Obesity
If fast-food ads were banned from television, childhood obesity rates could be lowered by up to 18 percent, according to a national study published by the Journal of Law & Economics.
Ads for fast food restaurants can be very appealing, especially for a child with little self control. And being that millions of children indulge in fast food on a regular basis, regulating the tempting ads seems like a viable solution.
“If you consider the fact that if a child spends a considerable amount of time in front of the TV, they are going to get bombarded with food-related advertising,” said Leigh Tweddle, a registered dietitian and weight management coordinator at Spectrum Health.
“Everybody looks very happy and they look very fit, and they look like if they eat this food, they’re going to have a good time, and that’s very appealing to a child.”
Fighting this large marketing industry could cost a lot of time, money and heartache. There are better actions parents can take to ensure their kids aren’t part of the 19 percent of overweight children in America.
The ultimate problem here is not the ads. Parents are in control of how much television their kids watch. They also determine what their kids eat. If a child watches a lot of television, they may be more likely to ask for fast food. Instead, the child should spend more time being physically active doing kids exercises and less time watching TV.
Also, even if a child asks for fast food, the parent is not obligated to comply with their wishes. Children need a balanced, healthy diet, and fast food restaurants are not the best sources.
Fast food may make your child happy temporarily, but in the long run it could be very damaging to your child’s health. Instead of giving into their wishes, explain the importance of a healthy diet and then tell them exactly which foods are healthy and which aren’t.
If your children are seeing too many TV fast food ads, make it a priority to get them away from the television more often. Teach them some kids indoor exercises or take them outdoors to play. The best way to prevent your children from being overweight is to keep them active, with a healthy diet.
Most importantly, remember that you are your kid’s role model, not the TV.
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Jeff Wise
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