3 Major Drawbacks of Letting Kids Watch TV While Eating Meals

Do your kids eat breakfast, lunch, and supper in front of a TV? If the answer to this question is ‘yes,’ there’s a good chance they’re picking up dysfunctional eating habits. Television might be a fantastic source of entertainment, but when people eat while watching TV, their minds don’t focus on what they’re eating. Or how much. This has the unintended consequence of distracting people into harmful eating patterns as time goes by. Especially children.

Eating Should be a Communal Activity:

The University of Michigan Health Department advises, “Childhood is the best time to learn healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Healthy eating can help your child feel good, stay at/reach a healthy weight, and have lots of energy for school and play. In fact, healthy eating can help your whole family live better.” Here are a few reasons why parents should be cautious about letting kids eat in front of a TV screen:

1.    TV Can Encourage Unconscious Binge-Eating:

In some cases, the act of watching television is a mind-numbing activity. So mind-numbing that physical movements performed at the same time are involuntary. Without realizing it, children who give their undivided attention to television can repeatedly nibble on food without measuring the quantities of their ingestion. This makes it likely to overindulge in food.

2.    TV Can Also Encourage Inadequate Eating:

In some cases, watching television is so mind-numbing that it paralyzes people from being able to multitask. Some children who give their undivided attention to TV neglect the fact that there are plates of food under their noses. They can end up eating too little food simply because their minds are fixated on watching a show.

3.    Television Ads Condition Kids to Crave Junk-Food:

One of the worst things about TV is constant advertising. And when that advertising is targeted towards kids, it usually calls their attention to toys and junk food. The moment a child sees an ad for junk food they like, it’s impossible to get them to enjoy wholesome home-made meals.

Conclusion:

            Eating habits are a very important discipline in life. And they’re a form of discipline that begins in childhood. Letting kids eat in front of the television might not seem like a consequential practice. But eating while watching TV is actually pattern-forming behavior. If you want your kids to grow into nutritionally mindful adults, it’s important to avoid juggling mealtime with constant attention to screens. Whether you’re interested in personal development, health and wellness, bettering your relationships, or the overall improvement of your business, give us a call at 1 (800) 913-0222 to find out how Richard Martinez can help you break past your daily struggles and start soaring in success.