Presentation 1 - Research Component

Presentation 1 – Research Component

Topic: Technology & Society

Global Child Obesity Phenomenon: The Impact of Excessive Television Viewing.

Introduction

Obesity has not only steadily increased over the years but it has caused more health problems. The increased rate of obesity is especially alarming amongst the children. There are many reasons contributing to this phenomenon; one of which is the child’s preference for unhealthy foods. According to Hastings, McDermott, Angus, Stead, Forsyth, MacKintosh, Rayner, Godfrey, Caraher & Angus (2003), there is a high correlation between a child’s preference of food and the obesity of a child.

In recent years, researchers have looked into possible links between television viewing and the rate of obesity. Most would consume the same amount of food or more each day but the amount of physical activity such as exercise does not increase or barely reaches an appropriate ratio with the amount of food consumed. Data has shown significant correlation between these two factors and it also adds that television viewing also affected a decline in physical activity amongst children (Robinson, 1999). With such a large variety of shows available on television at all hours of the day, it is no wonder that children do not feel encouraged or motivated to leave the couch and the television.

The changes in income has also allowed parents to afford more non-necessities for the children such as the latest electronic gadgets like iPods, iPhones, laptops and computers, portable playstations and etc. This will further create a generation who is only willing to move their fingers and not their bodies. Santrock (2010) as cited in Rey-Lopez & others, 2008) states that the level of time spent on the television and surfing the internet outweighs everything else including sleep.

The changes in the current lifestyle have resulted in less physical activity among children and adults and have rather increased the calorie intake (Miller et al., 2004). A survey was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (2002) the chart showed that there was an increasing trend of physical inactivity yearly amongst children between ages 9 to 12 while there is a yearly increase of obese children. “The child’s life should be centred on activities, not meals” (Fahley, Insel & Roth, 2011 as cited in Bolen, 2011)

Past studies have also proven that in certain situations obesity is not just the product the factor of unhealthy consumption of food but also other contributing factors like biological causes and the lack of physical activity amongst children (Miller, Rosenbloom & Silverstein, 2004). Accounting for the contributing factors of obesity it is becoming clear to researchers that biological genes and background of each individual will come into play as well (Miller et al., 2004).

Problem Statement

The temptation and allurement of the television has entrapped many besides children. Recent reports shows a 23 year old that died in an internet café after spending long hours playing an online game (Taipei Times, 2012). The official cause of death is that the young man had a cardiac arrest due to sleep deprivation, exhaustion and the cold temperature in the room that he was in. The list goes on and now even the children are in danger of such an outcome.

Excessive television viewing can foster an addiction that can very well damage the health of the community. Obesity is the first symptom of the negative implications of excessive television viewing and usage of the internet. The variety of channels on the television has also encouraged children to spend more time indoors. Santrock (2010) as cited in Rey-Lopez & others, 2008) states that the decline for exercise rates decline as the child progresses into adolescence and also because of the increasing time they spend in front of the television, internet or even their mobile phones.

Purpose of the Content

Obesity is an alarming epidemic in any country. The National Health and Morbidity Survey in 2006 showed that two out of every five adults or 43%, were either overweight or obese and an alarming situation where the number of obese adults had more than tripled over a decade, from 4% in 1996 to 14% in 2006 (The Star Online, 2010). Hence it is important to study the trends of obesity and overweight issues varies among different genders, age and also other environmental factors. Another reason for this study is to ascertain the depths of the addiction of Malaysians to the television and the internet. This will also help create national health memos and standards to ensure the good health of the community.

Review of Content

Past research has shown significant correlation between television viewing and obesity amongst children. As mention in Robinson (1999) and Santrock (2010) the main reason for obesity is due to the fact children are physically inactive and also due to the fact of their consumption of unhealthy food. The cause of physical inactivity can be accounted for the fact that children now spend far too much time daily on the television and also the internet. As for the increasing consumption of healthy foods can be accounted to the fact of increased food advertising on the television which contains most of unhealthy food advertising that has affected the child’s preference for unhealthy food Dickinson (2000).

Research Questions

1) What are the main contributors to child obesity?

2) How can television viewing among children be moderated in terms of hours of viewing and content of the programmes?

3) What are the negative impact of addiction towards the television and the internet and also what are the outcomes of obesity among children?

4) What role can teachers, parents and also the government take in preventing the increase of child obesity?

References

Hastings, Stead, McDermott, Forsyth, MacKintosh, Rayner, Godfrey, Caraher &

Angus. (2003) Review Research on The Effects of Food Promotion to Children. Retrieved January 19, 2011 from the world wide web http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs /foodpromotiontochildren1.pdf

Ambler, T. (2004) Does the UK promotion of food and drink to children contribute to

their obesity? Centre for Marketing Working Paper. Retrieved January 25,

2011, from the world wide web

http://www.aeforum.org/aeforum.nsf/4d479fea4b7efbb880256c

5100355eb8/6aabf5888e03c33d80257315003ed8b5/$FILE/Amber%202004%

20-%20Does%20the%20UK%20promotion%20of%

20food%20and%20drink%20to%20children%20contribute%20to%20obesity.

pdf

Miller, Rosenbloom & Silverstein. (2004) Childhood Obesity. Retrieved January 19,

2011, from the world wide web

http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/reprint/89/9/4211

Robinson (1999) Reducing Children's Television Viewing to Prevent Obesity (A

Randomized Controlled Trial) Retrieved 9 March, 2011, from the world wide

Web http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/282/16/1561.full

Santrock, J.W. (2008). Life Span Develo pment (11^th ed). Mc-Graw Hill: NY

Cheng S.T. & Wu P. H. (2012) Gamers ignore corpse in Internet café. Taipei

Times. Retrieved 7 February, 2011, from the World Wide Web:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2012/02/04/2003524636

Samy F.A. (2010). Malaysians getting obese - by eating too heavily at night. The Star

Online. Retrieved 7 February, 2011, from the World Wide Web:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2010/4/11/nation/6034

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