HHS HealthBeat (April 21, 2008)

Turning off the kids’ screens

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

There’s more to life than watching someone else live it on the screen ... or battling enemies in a virtual world.

That may be hard for kids to understand, though. They spend more time watching TV, playing video games, or being on the computer than anything except sleeping.

But the more recreational screen time, the more likely they’ll be overweight.

So, during Turnoff Week, Acting Surgeon General Admiral Steve Galson is asking parents to turn off TVs and computer games, and get the kids out to play.

And Galson says that if parents play, too, the kids will benefit:

``They need to see the example. So parents who are active produce kids who are active.’’ (6 seconds)

After Turnoff Week, Galson says; limit screen time to less than two hours a day.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: April, 18 2008