Television
TV, Exercise and Depression
Posted by Elvin Adams on
There are many studies that have demonstrated that the more you exercise the less likely you are to be depressed. A large study recently took a look at TV viewing and exercise in relationship to depression.
The study followed nearly 50,000 nurses, ages 30-55, for a period of ten years. During this time they were periodically questioned regarding exercise levels, TV viewing, and the presence or absence of clinical depression. No one in this group was depressed at the beginning of the study.
Depression was documented by a physician’s diagnosis of depression, the taking of anti-depressant medication, or depression diagnosed on a standardized questionnaire designed to pick up severe clinical depression.
Fixing Childhood Obesity
Posted by Elvin Adams on
Today's children are likely to die younger than their parents will. Why? Because of the chronic diseases associated with obesity. Right now, 66% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. And the kids are catching up -- 32% of children and teens (ages 2-19) are overweight or obese.
It doesn’t take much to get fat. For a growing child, just 100 extra calories a day (the calories in just one cookie a day), can result in obesity in only 3-4 years. The great amount of inactivity spent in front television, computer, and handheld screens is another part of the problem. This graph demonstrates the prevalence of obesity compared with the hours of TV viewing per day.
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TV Before Bedtime Impacts Kids' Sleep
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Kids who watch violent media any time of day have more sleep problems.
Preschoolers who watch television, play with computers or play video games after 7:00 PM report more sleep issues such as repeated awakenings, nightmares and daytime tiredness. Watching violent content at any time was also associated with sleep problems. Having a TV in the child's room increased viewing of violent content. Nonviolent daytime viewing did not increase sleep problems.
PositiveTip: Carefully monitor and control the media your children view and play, and find positive substitutes for evening media use.
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Sitting 4+ Hours A Day Can Be Deadly
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Watching more than 4 hours of TV a day dramatically increases premature death.
A study of nearly 9000 Australians compared those who watched 2 hours or less of TV per day to those who watched more than 4 hours. Those watching the most had a 46% increased risk in death from all causes, and an 80% increased risk for death by cardiovascular disease. This connection stayed consistent even after adjusting for other independent risk factors.
PositiveTip: Too much sitting is bad for your health. Remember to get up and move more, and do it more often.
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TV Time Can Cut Life Short
Posted by Fred Hardinge on
Couch potatoes beware - every hour of TV time may increase your risk of dying early.
Researchers in Australia followed the lifestyle habits of almost 9000 adults for more than six years. They found that each hour of daily TV viewing was connected with an 11% increased risk for death from all causes, an 18% higher risk for cardiovascular deaths, and even a 9% increase in death from cancer.
PositiveTip: The human body was designed for activity and movement. Avoid sitting for extended periods of time for optimal health.
Limit Kids Media for Their Good
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
The report from the Kaiser Family Foundation on media and sleep concludes their review with this statement:
William Dement, a professor at Stanford University and a leading sleep researcher has written, “…my most significant finding is that ignorance is the worst sleep disorder of all.” This review of the literature on sleep and media use among children indicates that while there are some things we do know about media and sleep, there is much more about which we are still ignorant.
It is extremely important to understand that all of the different types of media to which our kids are exposed can cause both measurable effects and other effects that we don’t yet understand.
The Media and Sleep
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
The report from the Kaiser Family Foundation featured in the last post also discusses active versus passive television viewing. Here is what they said in this report:
The Media and Sleep
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
From a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation we learn that recent research among adolescents regarding sleep has found results similar to those for younger children.
The Media and Sleep
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
Research describing concern about media use and sleep in children dates at least to the 1970’s.
A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation says:
“a 1981 study of middle-class children in Indiana found an association between TV viewing and both shorter daytime naps and shorter nighttime sleep among toddlers. Such results have been replicated subsequently and seem to have grown stronger with time.
The Media and Sleep
Posted by Gary Hopkins on
The average number of hours that children over age five spend watching television has only changed a little in the past generation. However, among very young children, television and video/DVD viewing has increased dramatically.
A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation reports: