Limit TV time and watch health improve

<p>Christopher had always been a very active, curious, and well behaved little boy. When he was about 3 years old, he came to see me and I noticed a dramatic change in his behavior. He was happy, but aggressive and destructive - more than expected from a typical 3-year-old.</p><p>This was a markedly different child than the one I knew from previous visits, so I asked his mother if he was watching more television lately. She was surprised at my question and replied, "Yes, but how did you know?" Well, if you know what to look for, it is pretty clear.</p><p>On these long dark nights we watch more TV than we do during the summer months. When our kids are out of school for the holidays and the weather is cold and rainy, children may be watching television all day long. While the damaging effects of television on our children's health have been well studied and documented, the health of adults is also clearly harmed by too much TV.</p><p>Don't get me wrong - I love flopping on the couch with my remote at the end of a long day. I find it relaxing. My mind can quit working so hard and my body can rest. But this is only after a day of sufficient mental and physical activity. Children don't need to rest their minds. And they need more physical activity, not less.</p><p>The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1-2 hours of quality programming for children each day, and no television for babies younger than 2 years old. I encourage a two-hour time limit on adult viewing as well, since many adults suffer from chronic conditions linked to too much time in front of the TV.</p><p>Watching TV replaces physical activity with sedentary behavior, increasing the risk for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and heart disease. It is no surprise that TV is considered a significant contributing factor to the current epidemic of childhood obesity.</p><p>The average American child views more than 40,000 commercials each year, many pushing products that are high in fat and sugar. Children learn to ask for these products by name and so begin a lifetime of poor food choices, leading to obesity and other health problems. In addition, we simply eat more snacks and larger meals when we watch TV.</p><p>Too much TV during the early years has been linked to poor performance in school, difficulty focusing, poor planning skills and poor judgment. Children who watch 10 hours or more of TV each week are less skilled at reading and less successful in school.</p><p>The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that if your child watches three to four hours of non-educational TV each day, he will have seen about 8,000 murders by the time he finishes grade school. These children become numb to violence and are more likely to respond to problems with aggressive behavior.</p><p>You can make choices for healthier viewing habits:</p><p>Set limits: No more than 1-2 hours a day and never while doing school or business homework.</p><p>Plan your viewing: Avoid surfing channels; choose specific programs based on content.</p><p>Watch TV with your family: Talk about what you see and take time to teach your children critical thinking.</p><p>Resist commercials: Watch public television, rent quality videos or record programs and leave out the commercials.</p><p>Exercise while you watch TV: At least you won't be sedentary.</p><p>Explore other, healthier options: Playing, reading, sports, learning a hobby, a musical instrument or an art.</p><p>Set a good example: Remember, you are the most important role model in your child's life.</p><p>Rest assured that we can enjoy what this powerful medium has to offer without letting it ruin our health. No need to return that big screen TV and sound system you got for Christmas! By making conscious choices, you can still maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes some quality TV time with friends and family.</p>