I’d like to share an article I just wrote for education.com about putting your kids on a diet—a tv diet that is.  A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior conducted by UC Davis examined the commercials running on 12 networks during the weekday afternoon and Saturday morning hours, the times when children would be most likely to be watching. Out of 5,724 commercials recorded, 1,162 were food-related. And of those, 70% were advertisements for fast-food, junk food and soda; 34% were for places that sell or products that are considered ''food on the run.”

Those numbers really concern me. Because it shapes our kids ideas of what is normal. If kids are watching a lot of tv, and thus a lot of commercials where other kids are downing soda and seem happy and healthy and popular, how could kids not associate soda as a “good thing.” Sure, at home we can talk about how this is not true, but still, talk about mixed messages. So in the article I include what I hope are helpful ways to curb your child’s exposure to junk food commercials.

I’m not anti-tv, just as I’m not anti-treat. But I’m a big believer in the maxim “everything in moderation.” In our house we watch videos and a little pbs kids when it’s time to unwind, and it seems to work for us. What works for you? I'd love to hear. Here is the link to the article if you’d like to find out more about the study, or a few ideas on how to put the whole family on a tv diet.

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/put-child-diet/