TV Makes You Fat
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
When I was a child, our family rarely ate in front of the television. The only TV in the household was downstairs in the rec room, so unless it was a Friday night and the Christmas specials were on, we ate upstairs. When I was in Grade 6, we moved to a house with an open floor plan (you gotta love the 80’s). This home didn’t have a finished basement, so the boob tube moved into the living room, which made it visible from the dining room. Since we usually ate around 6 o’clock, sometimes the news was on during dinner on a weeknight.
I bring this up because researchers at U of T have discovered that watching television while you eat can lead to increased food consumption. Children who ate lunch in front of the TV consumed 228 calories more than those who dined with the set off. I guess you eat more because you’re distracted or engaged in a mindless activity? I would tend to think that kids who don’t eat in front of the television might be more inclined to go outside and play (i.e. exercise) after they were done than those who were glued to a TV program.
Do you eat in front of the television? Are there particular shows that you watch at mealtime? If you have a “no television during meals” rule, do you ever make exceptions? Share your experiences by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below. Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is BOOBTUBE. It’s good until July 11th.