US research supports link between television and adolescent food choices
A nationwide survey of US students, funded by the US government, is the latest research to link television viewing with unhealthy eating habits in adolescents.
The national survey of students in the fifth grade (10-11 year olds) to 10th grade (15-16 year olds), published on Monday 7 May 2012, found that television viewing by young people is associated with unhealthy eating and food choices that may track into early adulthood.
The research was undertaken by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
The research used data from a nationwide survey of adolescents conducted every four years in the U.S. The survey included a nationally representative group of 12,642 students with an average age of 13.4 years.
The survey found that television viewing time was associated with lower odds of consuming fruit or vegetables daily and higher odds of consuming candy and sugar-sweetened soft drinks daily, skipping breakfast at least one day per week and eating at a fast food restaurant at least one day per week.
According to the study’s authors, the relationship of television viewing with this combination of eating behaviors may contribute to the previously documented relationship of television viewing with cardio-metabolic risk factors.
“Future research should elucidate the independent contributions of television viewing and food advertising on dietary intake in this population,” the authors concluded. “If these relationships are causal, efforts to reduce television viewing or to modify the nutritional content of advertised foods may lead to substantial improvements in adolescents’ dietary intake.”
The A2 Milk Company has revised its expected profits for the 12 months ended 30 June 2016.
McDonald’s US has attracted criticism for its new staff uniforms.
Confectionery giant, Mondelez International, announced it has terminated discussions with The Hershe...
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the beverage industry has witnessed a significant shift in the purcha...
There are some serious lessons to be learnt for businesses in the food industry when examining a uni...
Coeliac disease may be trigged by exposure to an otherwise harmless virus that causes no other sympt...
A new sugar content certification program called ‘Sugarwise’ is gaining traction in the United State...
American grocer Whole Foods has revealed its annual list of food and beverage trends for 2018.