New research from Queensland, Australia, shows that the number of children ages 13 or under being diagnosed with eating disorders at community mental health services has quadrupled in the past five years. In light of this disturbing trend, experts are warning parents to limit child exposure to TV weight loss shows and dieting paraphernalia.

Julie Parker, general manager of the Butterfly Foundation, which supports people with eating disorders, commented on the "dangerous" and confusing nature of weight loss shows for children: "We constantly have a dieting and thin culture in front of us, and children and young people are exposed like never before."

According to Parker, very young children in particular should not be exposed to extreme weight loss programs because they tend to present "a very warped and unrealistic view of exercise, dieting and health."

Bruce McDermott, University of Queensland professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, called the increase in diagnoses a "robust trend," but stressed that no one really knows the cause. "There are influences on childhood in the last 10 years that have never been there before," he said. "The prevalence of technology in the bedroom - MSN, YouTube, Internet and TV - fairly relentlessly gives a message that thin is good, thin is beautiful and thin is desirable."

(Source: www.news.com.au)

Labels: weight loss, tv

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A new study has found that seeing food ads on television can influence children to eat more while watching. The experiment, conducted by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, monitored the behavior of 118 children, ages 7 to 11. The children were each given bowls of Goldfish crackers and left alone to watch a 14-minute cartoon. During commercial breaks, some of the children were shown advertisements for games and entertainment, while other children watched four advertisements for unhealthy snacks, such as waffle sticks with syrup, fruit roll-ups and potato chips.

The children who saw the food ads consumed 45 percent more Goldfish than the children who saw the entertainment commercials. Children viewing the food commercials consumed an average of 28.5 grams of Goldfish crackers, while children viewing entertainment commercials consumed 19.7 grams of Goldfish. Study authors said that the study suggests "a direct causal link between food advertising and greater snack consumption."

(Source: www.nytimes.com)

Labels: advertisements, kids, tv, eating

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments