Childhood obesity is not just a cosmetic issue. The health effects of childhood obesity include increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and other serious diseases.
These health effects, combined with a dramatic rise in childhood obesity over the past three decades, have led some experts to worry that this may be the first generation of children in the United States to live shorter lives than their parents.
Strategies like skipping TV and avoiding sugary drinks can help kids lose weight or prevent future weight gain, but not always for the reasons we expect. There is a link between TV viewing and childhood overweight and obesity.
While the behavior of watching TV — perhaps snacking while sitting watching a favorite show — is part of the problem, experts are now also looking at what kids are watching. There is a growing debate about the impact of food marketing on the childhood obesity epidemic and what should be done about it.
