TV, Internet Affect Kids' Weight and Sleep
Jun-29-2011

Too much TV watching and Internet use may not just turn children into couch potatoes, it may also make them crave junk food and have trouble sleeping.
A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that excessive media exposure poses a variety of threats to children's health and calls for parents and health care providers to take action.
"We've created a perfect storm for childhood obesity -- media, advertising, and inactivity," says researcher Victor Strasburger, MD, a member of the AAP council on communications and media, in a news release. "American society couldn't do a worse job at the moment of keeping children fit and healthy -- too much TV, too many food ads, not enough exercise, and not enough sleep."
"Thirty years ago, the federal government ruled that young children are psychologically defenseless against advertising. Now, kids see 5,000 to 10,000 food ads per year, most of them for junk food and fast food," says Strasburger.
Two new studies published along with the statement in Pediatrics also highlight the media's negative effect on children's sleep and eating habits.

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