HHS HealthBeat (July 07, 2006)

Kids, calories and TV

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

Kids who watch TV take in more than a picture. They also may take in extra calories. Researchers looked at what sixth- and seventh-graders said about how much they watched and what they ate - especially foods advertised on TV, such as soda and chips.

The study in Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

Jean Wiecha of the Harvard School of Public Health says daily calories increased when TV time went up - 167 calories for every additional hour, mostly from foods advertised on TV:

"Kids do eat what they watch. They are exposed to a tremendous amount of advertising on television." (five seconds)

Wiecha says parents should keep watch on how much kids watch - and what foods they ask for.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

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

Last revised: August, 15 2006