A way in which the social media plays a part in our health behaviors takes a huge tole on today's youth in America. Childhood obesity is currently rising in America and continues to rise each year. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20% of the youth in America today are overweight and place them at risk for being obese when they become adults. They are also put at high risk for obtaining diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some forms of cancer. What are the causes that can bring such harm to children to have such a huge epidemic happening in America today? One good focus is the social media that children see on a daily basis.
On average children see different types of media each day and spend about 45 hours in front of a computer, television, and computer games. While spending so much time in front of these types of medias, 23% of what they see is related to fast food commercials, also it is said that the media displays commercials tens of thousands of food commercials that children see in a given year and are of no nutritional value. Research has found that product preference can have a heavy impact on children with just on exposure to a commercial and with repeated exposure the higher the impact. When this type of impact occurs on children they direct their requests to these types of social media exposure and their requests have a influence on the parents decision on what to get them.
What is a good way to put an end to all the social media influence on childhood obesity? One could argue that the parents have a high influence on what the children are fed and simply saying no could help in ending the epidemic. Sadly this is wrong however. Merely saying no to children will just enhance their wanting and when they are able to go out on their own at ages such as 13 and above, they will be able to obtain the good they were denied for a long time. Research has found that simply banning commercials like the "I'm loving It" commercial put out by McDonald's could reduce obesity in children as much as 18% and 14% on older kids. However, putting a ban on such commercials is not in the near future and may not be for a very long time.
References:
"The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity." The Impact of Food Advertising on Childhood Obesity. American Psychological Association, 2013. Web. 09 May 2013. <http://www.apa.org/topics/kids-media/food.aspx>.
"Fast Food TV Ads Linked to Child Obesity, Study Finds | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 20 Nov. 2008. Web. 09 May 2013. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,455028,00.html>.
I think that is so crazy how you said that just banding the McDonald's commercials can help with obesity. I feel like parents should just incourage their kids to play outside and get off the couch but as you said when the kids get of an age to do things on their own it is going to be up to them and not thier parents to get them off the couch. It would be amazing if there was a better way to incourage America to get up and get healthy before it turns the corner to obesity. As you said though they aren't going to stop advertising unhealthy things which would atleast help a little, that's to bad. Also I found your blog very interesting.
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