No-Face’s feast from Spirited Away, the grey stuff from Beauty and the Beast, and an instant Mcdonald’s microwave from Spy Kids are all things we dreamed about at some point of our childhood. Movie after movie, we saw characters stuff their faces with feasts we could only pester our mom for on our weekly grocery shop. Whilst seemingly harmless, the effects of such representations can have a bigger impact on the well-being of the next generation than we would expect.

Children learn much about the world through their use of media, and are said to develop many characteristics from what they see on the screen — especially when it comes to food. TV itself can affect the learning and school performance of a child, if it interferes with activities vital for their mental and physical development. Whilst the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours of screen time for children and teenagers, recent statistics show that kids 8-12 have an average of 4 hours and 36 minutes of screen time every day (over x2 what is recommended). CNN also reported that 72% of that time is spent watching tv.

When watching television, children often see that calorie-rich foods that are both high in fat and sugar taste great to consume, and are sometimes seen as a reward to the character. However, healthier options such as fruits and vegetables are largely eaten with distaste, and are sometimes presented as a punishment whilst other characters eat ‘tastier’ alternatives. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that these portrayals are linked to have a negative impact on children. Even though certain cartoons/shows such as Horrid Henry and Teen Titans Go! have singular episodes concentrating on the importance of healthy eating, the majority of episodes still promote unsustainable diets for a healthy lifestyle. Time reported that kids who watched 1-2 hours of TV per day had increased odds of obesity, 47% above the group that watched less than an hour a day, with figures becoming greater as watch time increased. Whilst not a direct association to foods shown in programs themselves, many experts believe that the increase in unhealthy eating habits is down to a decreased time being active, unhealthy behaviors shown by characters, and the commercials pushed forward to children.

The advertisements shown to children on tv can also be largely influential on their diet, with 98% of foods being advertised to the younger generation being low in nutritional value. On average, children in the US watch 15 food advertisements every day, or nearly 5500 messages a year that promote unhealthy food consumption. Similar figures are also seen in Canada with four out of five food commercials on children’s tv being for those which are high in undesirable nutrients/ energy.

Some countries however have set in place strategies to reduce the negative impacts of advertisements on children. The UK government launched new rules on advertising unhealthy foods to protect children from developing long-term unhealthy eating habits, and to ultimately tackle childhood obesity which is at over 20% for 10-11 year olds. The regulations which will be enforced by the end of the year, include the restriction of paid-for HFSS (High in saturated Fat, Salt and Sugar) food advertisements between times other than 9pm-5:30am. The public health minister Jo Churchill claimed that “ we are committed to improving the health of our children and tackling obesity. The content youngsters see can have an impact on the choices they make and habits they form. With children spending more time online it is vital we act to protect them from unhealthy advertising.” The UK government hopes that other countries also launch similar initiatives to protect the health of children worldwide, especially as screen time has drastically increased in the last decade and continues to do so.

Whilst countries such as the UK are taking some measures to reduce the issue, many such as the US have yet to limit harmful food content shown to younger viewers. Not only this, but no actions have yet to be taken to prohibit excessive unhealthy eating being shown within children’s tv programs and movies. The increased representation of healthier eating being rewarded, and more characters enjoying such choices could greatly improve children’s behavior towards foods which are a part of their five-a-day, and hence help increase the health of our children overall.

The Effects of TV on the Health of the Next Generation