Another Reason to Monitor Television for Kids

Though commercial ads on television are the rage during the Super Bowl, here is yet another study that cautions parents about the downside of ads as it relates to children’s health. The study measured the effect that food ads had on snacking while watching television. One test found that children aged 7 to 11 who watched a half-hour cartoon that included food commercials ate 45 percent more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials.

If you added up the calories for this type of snacking the researchers estimated that it would lead to a weight gain of about 10 pounds a year. The researchers of the study believe there is "a direct and powerful link between television food advertising and calories consumed by adults and children…that is major contributor to the obesity epidemic.”

Of course, children with type 1 diabetes can pack on the pounds just as easily as other children. But children with type 1 are also at risk of high blood sugar from frequent snacking.

What are your thoughts on this issue of snacking and television ads? Do you think advertisers ought to be held responsible for the products they promote? Or, is it a parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child is eating properly and avoiding excessive snacking? Post your comments below.

Learn about "free foods" that won't raise your child's blood sugar much.

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