Not Even A Mouse
7 hours ago
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND TV
Thanks for the guest post by Jonathan Curtis
I recently heard Michelle Obamaspeak
about Childhood Obesity in America, and she offered some good strategies on how
to address it. I think, however, the first step should be to eliminate how much
tv is available to kids, because we know that when you watch tv, you aren’t
active. All you have to do is go to DIRECTV.com and browse the listings and you
will see show after show geared toward children. It didn’t use to be that way.
When I was a kid, it was just Saturday mornings, really, that kids’ tv programs
were even on. Now that have shows available for kids to watch from the time they
wake up in the morning until the time they go to bed at night. I know this is a
free country, and we have free speech and all that, so I don’t know if this
could even be changed, but it sure seems to me like a big root of the problem.
You can say it is up to parents to regulate, but most parents aren’t.
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1 comment:
TV watching is a serious problem with kids NOT being active like they once were, but there are other things which preoccupy a kids attention to like video games and the Internet. Like anything else, modern conveniences ie cable TV, social networking, computer games, ... need to be used in moderation. Kids have to pushed outside to enjoy outdoor play. We don't children playing in neighborhoods anymore. Where are they? Inside!
Physical education needs to be a part of a child's school requirements from 7-12. Younger kids need to have recess periods twice a day - once in the morning & in the afternoon, with at least 45 minutes for lunch to give kids time to get outside after eating.
Yes, when I was a kid we didn't have all of the fun distractions. We were forced to go outside to create our own entertainment, play tag, softball, basketball, ride bikes, and forced to walk everywhere - no mommy chauffering!
It's never too late to incorporate the basics into a child's life. One thing is for certain, kids live by example. If parents are couch potatoes, video game queens/kings, or an Internet junkie then they will follow those footsteps.
Good post! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this serious social issue.
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