The TV Problem

• Television viewing among kids, according to UMHS, is at an all-time high as of November 2009. A majority of 8- to 18-year-olds have a TV in their rooms, many of which are equipped with DVD/DVR players and premium channels. Kids with TVs in their bedrooms, notes UMHS, watch television 1.5 hours more per day than kids who do not have one. About 63 percent of American households keep the TV on during dinner. Television as a focal point in the lives of youth contributes to the nation's obesity epidemic.

The Obesity Epidemic

• Body mass index (BMI) measures weight relative to height. Since children grow quickly--and males differ significantly from females--doctors assess their BMIs against children of the same age and sex. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) classifies kids with a BMI over the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile for their age and sex as overweight. Children with a BMI greater than the 95th percentile are obese. The AAP explains that obesity can cause health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke and depression.

Lack of Physical Activity

• Clearly, watching TV is a sedentary activity. A lack of physical activity is widely known to contribute to overweight and obesity among children. Simply put, excess television time leaves less time for exercise, which promotes healthy weight. UMHS takes this a step further, though. It contends that the rate at which children burn calories is lower when watching television than it is when they are just sitting quietly, doing nothing. Merely being awake in the same room as an active television for more than two hours day is associated with being overweight for kids between 3 and 4 1/2.

Poor Food Choices

• The Mayo Clinic claims that allowing a child to eat in front of the TV encourages poor eating habits. UMHS estimates that about 66 percent of the 20,000 television advertisements the average child sees when watching TV promote food, most of which is unhealthy. Ads for sugary drinks and other unhealthy food items increase in frequency during the after-school hours, according to UMHS.

Outlook

• The impact of watching too much TV as a kid on adult health is startling. UMHS cites a 2004 study in the journal "Lancet" detailing the experiences of a group of 26-year-olds. Watching two hours or more of TV per day as youth contributed to health problems later in life, such as obesity, unhealthy cholesterol levels and overall poor physical fitness.

Prevention/Solution

• Mayo Clinic experts offer strategies for limiting the role TV plays in your child's health. They suggest keeping the TV out of your child's bedroom, not using TV as background noise and prohibiting eating in front of the TV. The Mayo Clinic also advises setting a good example by limiting your own TV time. Suggest other healthy activities, such as outdoor play, and set a limited schedule for any TV viewing.