Understanding Media's Influence in Children's Nutritional Development

Childhood Commercialism

Understanding Media’s Influence in Children’s Nutritional Development

By: Elizabeth Ammons

Televison:

-News

-TV Shows

-Reality Shows

-Music Videos

-Commercials

-Sports

-Other- Movies, Cartoons, etc.

The Age of Television:

-More sophisticated and elaborate television sets today than ever before

-248 million TV sets in US households

-98% of households have at least one TV

-Extreme Viewing- access to dozens, even hundreds, of channels and video movies- 1,937 broadcasting networks and stations

-Childhood obesity and violence in US has increased

The Average American Child

-Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680

-Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70

-Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54

-Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5

Cartoon characters like Homer Simpson promotes an unhealthy lifestyle for young children.

The Influence of Media on Children

-Dramatically influences children of all ages

-Children are physically passive, yet mentally alert when watching TV

-Vulnerability in the younger years

-In early years children are sensitive to stimulation and modeling, and cannot filter out the negative

-Infants and toddlers need response and reinforced stimulation-two things televisions cannot produce

Food is Top Product Seen Advertised by Children

-American children watch an average of 17 food ads every day--40,000 per year

-One half of all ads shown during children’s programs are for food

-32% of all ads seen by 2-7 yr. olds were for food

-Most heavily advertised food products for kids are candy and snacks

-28% of ads are for cereal and 10% for fast foods

-4% of ads are for dairy and 1% for fruit juices

Screen Time:

-In 2006, virtually all U.S. households had at least one TV with nearly 80% having multiple sets

-On the average, children spend up to 5 to 6 hours a day involved in sedentary activities, including excessive time watching TV

-Children spend more time sitting in front of TV screens than any other activity including sleeping

-Preschool children ages 6 and younger, spend as much screen time as they do playing outside

Even the very youngest children spend time in front of the TV.

Theories on How Media Contributes to Childhood Obesity

-The time children spend in front of TV’s displaces time they could spend in physical activity

-The food advertisements children are exposed to on TV influence them to make unhealthy eating choices

-The cross-promotions between food products and popular TV and movie characters are encouraging children to buy and eat more high-caloric foods

-Children snack excessively while using media, and they eat les healthy meals when eating in front of the TV

-Watching TV and videos lowers children’s metabolic rates below what they would be even if they were sleeping

-Depictions of nutrition and body weight in entertainment media encourage children to develop less healthy diets

Nutrition Education for Preschoolers:

While the magnitude of the impact of media’s effects on childhood obesity is not crystal clear, the body of evidence indicates there is a role for media-related policies to be put in place that would manage and reduce the time children spend with media.

For many preschool age children obesity is among one of many other nutritional concerns. This issue requires direct intervention involving the parents or guardians, caregivers, and nutritional and/or health care professionals. One way to address the obesity issue is through nutritional activities in the childcare setting. Nutrition education can help young children develop healthy eating habits that will carry into their adulthood. By leading children in a variety of simple and fun nutrition activities, caregivers can teach basic nutrition concepts. Caregivers are role models for healthy eating and facilitate healthy decision making by offering children nutritious choices for snacks or meals served in the childcare setting. The inclusion of health education activities revolving around nutrition topics reinforces this healthy learning.

Learning About Nutrition:

Preschoolers are very curious and eager to learn about the foods they eat. Examples of appropriate nutrition fundamentals include the names and sources of different foods; preschoolers need to eat a variety of foods; the fact that some foods are healthier than others; and foods have different textures, shapes, colors, smells and tastes. Most three-to-five year olds can learn to identify foods easily. Many four-to-five year olds can understand basic concepts about energy and that good foods help the body fight germs and keep their heart healthy.

There are many different methods for teaching nutrition education concepts to preschoolers. The preschool-aged child learns by physical manipulation of the environment. Consider including activity-based teaching that encourages interaction objects and includes age-appropriate activities offering children first-hand experience and active participation. Activity-based learning might include art projects, songs, games, stories,, field trips, role playing, pictures, food models, puzzles, and computer lessons.

Food experiences are one of the best ways to teach children about food and nutrition. Meal and snack time provide important and effective opportunities for encouraging positive eating behavior. Children are more likely to choose specific foods if they are able to look at and taste them on a frequent and consistent basis. Food-based activities which have been successful in increasing children’s food preferences include vegetables and fruit gardens, food preparation, tasting parties, engaging the five senses with food and eating healthy meals and snacks with peers and adults.

Learning At Home:

Nutrition education for preschoolers also takes place in the home, so parent involvement is important. Encourage the parents’ interest in nutrition while introducing the child to a variety of foods and healthy eating habits. This increases the likelihood that the desired nutritional behavior will be continued at home. When parents and teachers work together, the nutrition education experience is more meaningful. Invite parents to their child’s preschool program, participate in hands-on nutrition activities with their children or write letters to parents explaining what their children are learning and provide instructions for activities to implement at home. Make nutrition fun, and extend the education process into the home.

We can blame the television for increased childhood obesity, however, parents, schools, and even communities can be influential in preventing and solving the problem.

Fun and Simple Activity:

Basket Targets

This activity integrates nutrition education with color and shape recognition and motor skill development. Tape a picture on the front of several baskets such as different colors or shapes. Next, take several old white socks and help children wad each one into a ball. Using pictures of foods which children have found in magazines, use tape or a rubber band to attach one food picture to each sock-ball. Encourage children to toss the food socks into the appropriate basket, such as al the “green foods” (broccoli, green gelatin, pears) into the “green” basket. All the socks having “round foods” (apples, oranges, pumpkins, potatoes) go into the “round” basket. As children advance, make the choices more difficult, such sorting fruit and vegetables from meat and breads.

Healthy Snacks

From the Grain Group:

Cracker snacks--wheat crackers with cheese

Ready-to-eat low sugar cereals

Flavored mini rice cakes or popcorn cakes

Breads of all kinds such as multi-grain rye, white, wheat

Ginger snaps of fig bars

Popcorn (over age 5)

Trail mix…ready-to-eat cereal with raisins or other dried fruit

Graham crackers with peanut butter, or plain

Resources

(Ahammer & Murray, 1979; Bandura, 1986; Comstock & Paik, 1991; Strasburger, 1995), …www. aacap.org/facts for families.

American Academy of Pediatrics, Polidcy Statement: “Prevention of Pediatric Overweight and Obesity,” Pediatrics 112 (August 2003) 2:424-430.

Comstock, G., & Paik, H. (1991). Television and the American child. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Hoeger, and Hoeger, Lifetime Physical Fitness & Wellness (Thomson Learning Inc., 2007).

Liebert, R. M., & Sprafkin, J. (1988). The early window: Effects of television on children and youth (3rd ed.). New York: Pergamon Press.

Roberts, D. and Foehr, U., Kids and Media in America (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 2004).