Watching TV during a meal or snack time might affect the amount of food eaten by school going children. American researchers from the Pennsylvania State University observed that preschool-age children ate significantly less at snack time and at lunch, while watching a 22-minute cartoon than when they ate without the TV on. However, parents of some children reported that their children were accustomed to eating lunch or snacks in front of the TV. These children ate more with the TV on than did similarly aged children whose parents reported that they do not normally eat in front of the TV. The researchers studied the effects of TV viewing on children's lunch and snack intake. A total of 24, normal weight 3 to 5-year-old children participated in the experiments in which they ate lunch or a snack with the TV on or off. The same meal was served on both the TV and non-TV viewing days: pizza, applesauce, baby carrots and milk. The afternoon snack consisted of milk, crackers and dried banana chips. Based on parental reports of TV habits at home, the children, on average, watched 1.5 hours of TV daily and eight of the 24 children (33 percent) normally ate meals or snacks in front of the TV. As mentioned, overall, the children ate significantly less snacks and lunch on TV days compared to non-TV days. However, children who watched more TV per day or who usually ate in front of the TV at home consumed more at lunch or snack time on TV days. This study shows that TV viewing can either increase or decrease the intake of food in children and suggests that when children consistently view TV during meals, it may distract them from normal fullness cues, which can lead to overeating in children as it may in adults. It's best to keep the TV off during meals. To promote self-regulation of energy intake in young children, parents and caregivers should be advised against providing opportunities for children to eat along with TV viewing.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association,
April 2006