Does eating during television viewing affect preschool children's intake?
Journal
  Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Citation
  J Am Diet Assoc. 106(4):598-600
Publication date
  2006 Apr
Authors
  Francis LA
Birch LL
Investigators
  Leann Birch
Grant agencies
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Grants
  NICHD HD32973-03S1
NICHD R01 HD32973
MeSH headings
  Child Behavior
Energy Intake
Obesity
Television
MeSH qualifiers
  physiology
epidemiology
Abstract
  The objective of this study was to examine the effects of television (TV) viewing on children's lunch and snack intake in one condition when the children watched a 22-minute cartoon video on TV (TV group), and in another without the TV (no TV group). Participants included 24 children and their parents, recruited from a university child-care center. Parents reported children's TV viewing habits at home. Overall, children ate significantly less snack and lunch in the TV condition compared with the no TV condition. However, children who reportedly watched more daily hours of TV and who had a higher frequency of meals eaten in front of the TV at home ate more lunch in the TV condition. TV viewing may either increase or reduce children's intake, depending on prior experience with eating during TV viewing.