Trimming television advertising might trim childhood obesity

Trimming television advertising might trim childhood obesity


Childhood obesity is an epidemic in the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 18% of children ages 2 to 19 are considered obese. That amounts to nearly 14 million kids.

One potentially effective way to fight the battle of the bulge might simply be to turn off the television.

We’re all bombarded with advertising for unhealthy foods soaked with fat, sugar and salt, whether it’s the latest ad for a restaurant or a brand of potato chips. That caloric emptation has a big impact on our kids.

A British study has concluded that limiting that advertising and relegating it to times when children are less likely to be viewing could make a significant dent on obesity rates. Scientists modeled a scenario in which ads for foods rich in fats, sugar and salt were moved to times between 9 p.m. and 5:30 in the morning.

They estimated that would mean children would see one-and-a-half fewer food advertisements on average in the United Kingdom. That doesn’t seem like much, but the researchers said their model showed that would reduce the U.K.’s obesity rate by nearly 5%.

The resulting health-care savings in Britain would be the equivalent of more than $9 billion.

Keeping children away from the television, however, remains a parenting challenge. TVs aren’t the only way ads get to their eyes. By one estimate, kids are spending more than 44 hours a week in front of televisions, computer screens or playing video games.

But it is a battle worth fighting, since unhealthy eating habits are thought to be a leading cause of premature death.

We can’t remove those ads, but we can control the TV. That’s why they invented the remote control.

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