We live in a technology-centric world full of televisions, computer screens, and iPads. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the average child watches seven hours of television, surfs on the internet, and plays video games daily. It is important to decrease the amount of time we allow children to be on their screens. This will avoid a lack of activity and over-snacking that can lead to childhood obesity.

What Leads to Childhood Obesity?

When you decrease your physical activity, you are spending less time outside burning calories and energy. Binge-watching a series or watching a movie can take hours to finish. You can fill these hours by doing chores around the house, playing sports, or exercising. There can also be an increase in snacking as you feel that you need to keep eating until the program is over with fattening foods like buttered popcorn, chips, pretzels, etc. The Journal of American Dietetic Association says that nine out of ten food advertisements during Saturday night children’s programs advertise foods high in fat, sodium, and added sugar. This can affect a child’s food preferences and can impact their health. For example, these can be fast food ads that feature children. These ads make children think this is all children need to eat and feel compelled to eat fast food after.

Television Can Lead to Obesity

Having your television in the bedroom can decrease the amount of sleep you get. This leads to late-night, unmonitored television watching. Not getting enough sleep can increase ghrelin, which is a hormone that tells you when you are hungry. It also will decrease leptin, which tells you when you are full. Being sleep-deprived can make you eat 300 extra calories a day from high-fat foods compared to those who are well-rested, as children may feel like having a snack until their program ends.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children only spend one to two hours in front of a screen. Instead of forcing your child to follow your plan on what to eat and how long to watch, let them be the one to come up with a plan based on the choices you present to them. You can even show them to set up timers on their devices to turn off automatically when it is time to go to bed. Technology addiction can be treated and parents need to set limits on their child to make smarter healthier choices.

Your Treatment Options

If you think you struggle with technology addiction, and that’s led to obesity, we can help! Contact Bayview Recovery today. Located in Tacoma, Washington, Bayview Center’s mission is to offer clinically-driven programs and services to treat a number of substance abuse disorders, along with anxiety and depression, using cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical-behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, yoga therapy, and more for a successful recovery. For more information, please call us at 855.478.3650, as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.