Is Watching TV While Eating Harmful for Kids?

Many kids have habit of eating while watching TV. Should your kids watch TV while eating? Find out whether this habit is good or not.A lot of kids like to watch television daily. Watching television is fun, exciting and interesting. There are many television channels for kids which telecast good programmes. However, the question remains as to whether watching television while eating is a good habit or not. Find out the effects of watching television while eating. In this articleCan Lead to Over-EatingFamily CohesivenessDepends on the Home EnvironmentChildren End Up Eating More Junk FoodGood for Fussy EatersCan Lead to Over-EatingWhile children mindlessly stare at the television, they can end up eating a lot more than they should. Watching television while eating has led to over-eating in many cases. You do not keep a track of how much you are eating while watching TV and so you end up eating a lot more than you should. Obesity among kids is on the rise and watching television while eating is not an ideal way to have meals.Family CohesivenessFamilies sitting together at the table and eating meals is a good custom. It promotes family bonding and helps to bring the family more close. Memories of conversations around the dining table can last for a long time. In today’s busy world, many parents hardly have time to talk or spend with kids and having meals together provides a good opportunity for a lot of talking.Depends on the Home EnvironmentA lot depends on why the kids want to watch television while eating. How is the environment at home? Is your child an introvert who does not wish to talk to anybody while eating or does she like to isolate herself by turning to television. Parents should use meal time as an opportunity to talk to kids and ask them about their day.Children End Up Eating More Junk FoodA study shows that children tend to eat more junk food while watching television. As per the study, the tongue is not satisfied by eating sweets, salty and sour foods while watching TV and your body asks for more. People feel that their stomach is full and satisfied only when they have eaten plenty of junk foods while watching television and eating. According to research, there is more hunger for junk food while watching TV and eating.Good for Fussy EatersChildren who are fussy eaters can be fed properly while watching the television. Toddlers are distracted and in a trance like state while watching television, so feeding them while the television is switched on is a very good idea. They will hopefully not fuss over food as their entire concentration and attention is on the TV programme.Thus, there are some advantages and disadvantages of feeding kids while watching television. The cons outweigh the pros. According to the researchers, watching TV is a distracting activity and can encourage a sedentary lifestyle. Therefore, it is a must for parents to check the TV watching habits of their children and nip it in the bud itself. Not only watching TV while eating must be controlled but also the overall duration for which the children watch TV must be monitored.Ideally, families should have meals together and enjoy themselves rather than eating separately. Not only children but also adults can suffer because of the habit of watching TV while eating. It reduces the rate of metabolism. Therefore, it is important for parents as well to break the habit of watching TV while eating so that they can be good role models for their children.Watching television is good if there is no other option left. Even in general, watching too much of TV is not good and when it is done while eating, it can become a bad habit and give rise to many health problems. So, from today, keep the remote control away, enjoy your meals with your family and stay healthy and fit.Is it alright for children to watch TV while eating? What are the harmful effects of watching TV while eating for children? How to break TV watching habit in children? Discuss here.