Too much TV bad for diets
2009-02-11 21:52
New York - Teenagers who spend hours in front of the television may have a poorer diet as young adults, according to new research.
Scientists are not sure if it is due to snacking in front of the television or if TV advertisements for junk food influence eating habits but they found that teens who watched five or more hours of TV a day had less healthy diets than their peers five years later.
The TV teens ate fewer fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods than other adolescents and more fast foods, sugary drink and snacks.
"We're not able to tell why," said Dr Daheia J Barr-Anderson, of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, who headed the research team.
"But we do have some speculations."
She explained that teens who spend a lot of time in front of the TV may snack more, which may affect their long-term quality of their diet.
TV time might also replace exercise time for some kids but Barr-Anderson said many teens who exercise also watch a lot of television.
The study, published online in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, included 1 366 high school students who completed questionnaires at the start of the study and five years later.
The researchers found a clear correlation between TV time during high school and diet quality in young adulthood. Teens who watch the most TV were also eating the most junk food five years later.
Adolescents who watched fewer than two hours per day of television had the highest intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and high-calcium foods.
"Parents should limit and monitor TV viewing," Barr-Anderson said, adding that parents' habits also influence their children.
She recommended that parents set a good example by eating right, being physically active and curbing their own TV time.