Television and Obesity

Television and Obesity

Energy in should equal energy out.   This means that the amount of calories we put in our body should equal the amount of calories required to fuel our daily activities.   It is a simple concept, but actually achieving it is far from simple for most people in today’s society.   More than half of Canadians are over weight or obese1, largely due to the fact that their energy intake exceeds their energy output.   People can be obese for other reasons including thyroid deficiencies, endocrine abnormalities and other medical conditions, but the biggest reason Canadians are tipping the scales is because of our current lifestyle which is influenced by the media, especially television.   Television contributes to the current obesity epidemic because it decreases the number of calories that viewers burn and increases the amount of calories viewers eat.
Television entered the home in the mid-1940s, just after World War II.   Then, it was a huge box with a small black and white screen that amazed everyone.   Television has changed dramatically since then.   Today, they are sleek in design with high definition resolution, causing viewing to be more enjoyable.   Dr Frank Hu, an expert in nutrition, found that watching television for an extra two hours a day increased the rate of obesity by 25%2.   The average weekly viewing time in Atlantic Canada is 24 hours a week3.   That is the equivalent of 1 day per week spent sitting and watching television!!   Since it takes up a huge proportion of time, this “activity” has replaced traditional ones that require energy output, like sports and other physical activities.
Not only has it replaced traditional activities that require energy output, but it is important to note that watching television does not require any energy output at all.   When the television first made its debut, viewers would at least have to walk from the couch to the set to manually change the channel.   Today, changing the channel is done at the push of a button which...