This is not likely the first time that you have heard that watching TV may not be good for you. Over the years I have shown many customers of mine the value of time and that the time they spend in front of the TV is detrimental to their health.
Recently I read an article from the wholefood farmacy about a Harvard research that was done.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Children’s Hospital Boston found that kids who spend more time watching television also eat more of the calorie-dense, low-nutrient foods advertised on television.

Previous studies had demonstrated that children who watch more television are more likely to be overweight, but this is the first time a research team has found evidence for a mechanism explaining that relationship. The study results appear in the April 2006 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent medicine.

“We’ve known for a long time that television viewing is a risk factor for overweight, though the common perception is that this is due to the fact that it’s a sedentary use of time,” said Jean Wiecha, the study’s lead author and a senior research scientist at HSPH. “This study provides evidence that television is effective in getting kids to eat the foods that are advertised, and this drives up their total calorie intake.”

The results of the study showed that each hour of increased television viewing over baseline was associated with a total energy increase of 167 calories — just about the amount of calories in a soda or a handful of snack food, said Wiecha. Each additional hour of television viewing was also independently associated with increased consumption of foods commonly advertised on television, and these foods were shown to be responsible for much of the calorie increase. Viewing time seemed to have the strongest connection to additional consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.

Twice as many children and almost three times as many teens are overweight today compared to their counterparts growing up 20 years ago. Overweight young people are more likely to become overweight or obese adults who are at risk for diseases like diabetes and heart disease. The results of this study bolster a longstanding recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics to limit children to less than two hours of television each day to both lessen sedentary time and reduce exposure to content associated with negative consequences.

It is a personal mission of mine to help change the momentum of the health crisis in America. I feel that reaching the children is one of the very first “calls to action” and we need to take it more serious. With that being said, we all need to lead by example.
Each of us are leaving a path behind us that others will follow. What kind of path are you leaving?

Are you interested in helping with my Health Crisis Call To Action Plan? CLICK HERE and ask what you can do to help.