Obesity and Screen Time: is there a link?

Teenagers are using more screens than ever before. While health professionals have been sounding the alarm on the potential dangers of childhood obesity, many researchers have confirmed that watching excessive TV or playing excessive video games can contribute to weight gain among teenagers.

This applies especially to smartphones, which are more accessible and essentially an extension of our body and brains.

A new study suggests that young people who spend more time on digital media than family activities, educational activities, or sports are more likely to be obese or overweight.

In fact, obesity is one of the most well-known consequences of excessive screen time.

There are three main mechanisms by which screen time leads to obesity in children and adolescents:

(1) Increased caloric intake and reduced feeling of fullness when eating while engaged with screens.

(2) Exposure to advertisements promoting high-calorie, low-nutrition foods and beverages influences children's preferences, purchase requests, and eating habits.

(3) Disrupting sleep which further leads to sleep disorders and irregular eating habits

How to limit the amount of time your children and teens spend with screens?

Screen time should be a Privilege (not a negotiation)

Make a daily or weekly limit on the amount of time your child spends watching television or using a smartphone or playing video games.

Before any access to screens can be allowed, it is important to consider if all essential activities of life have been accomplished in that day, such as sleeping 8-10 hours, school work, chores, outdoor time, physical activity, non-screen hobbies, media-free family time.

Experiments have shown that reducing screen media time also reduces a child’s aggression and their requests for parents to purchase things advertised online.

Encourage Physical Activity

Make sure your teen gets some exercise daily. Playing catch, taking your teen for a walk, or even doing some yard work can help them get the exercise they need. Make exercise fun by thinking of activities you can do as a family.

Play tag, swim, jump rope, hula-hoop, dance to music, or even go hiking--just have a fun time with your family! Some families enjoy tennis or pickle ball or basketball. Others enjoy going on the local trek.

Educate Your Teen

Communication is key. Educate them about social media. Discuss how advertisements often try to convince young people to buy a certain product with high-calorie, low-nutrient food that influences children's preferences, purchase requests, and consumption habits which may affect their overall health.

Talk to your child about the superfluous nature of social media and the importance of being cordial online as well as offline.

Electronics-Free Mealtimes

Avoid watching TV, texting, or surfing during mealtimes. Instead, use the opportunity to talk about your day. Family dinners have been proven to improve kids' mental health. Make sure you don't miss out on this priceless time with your family by letting the screens distract you.

Let us help you establish clear goals and guidelines to prevent obesity and reduce screen time. Get in touch with us today!