TV teens 'develop bad food habits'
Updated on 30 January 2009
Teenagers who spend hours in front of the television end up with bad eating habits, scientists said.
Youngsters who watch more than five hours per day eat more fried and fast food five years later, a US study found.
The researchers blamed TV adverts for influencing youngsters to eat fewer fruit and vegetables.
The findings, published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, were based on a study of more than 2,000 schoolchildren in America.
Dr Daheia Barr-Anderson, who worked with a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, said: "To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the association between television viewing and diet over the transition from adolescence into young adulthood. We've shown that TV viewing during adolescence predicts poorer dietary intake patterns five years later."
The strongest patterns were seen during the transition to young adulthood, the authors said.
Dr Barr-Anderson added: "These less than healthy foodstuffs are commonly advertised on television while healthy foods rarely receive the same publicity.
"Although young people may be aware that many foods advertised on television are not healthy, they may choose to ignore or do not fully realise the consequences.
"The potential negative impacts of advertising and marketing campaigns on dietary quality and purchasing behaviour show that, as well as devising interventions to reduce television viewing time, we need to promote healthy food choices, in general and while watching television, to overcome harmful media influences."
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
