Health News You Can Use By Dr. Jannie Carter, Extension Assistant Director, Urban Affairs Unit

Are your kids watching too much television? This question, asked by many in the early 1990s, is still being pondered. It is a question that has been asked over and over again by researchers and educators investigating the influence of television on youth attitudes and behavior. While television certainly can't be identified as the villain in every case of negative youth behavior, it has also been identified as one of the major causes of obesity among youth.

Studies have shown that kids who watch too much television may grow to regret this habit in later years, especially when it comes to their health. The bad news is sitting too long in front of a television set can cause "snack attacks" that can lead to a poor diet and poor health. Researchers note that youngsters who watch a lot of television tend to get less exercise and eat more high-fat foods. These two factors can promote high cholesterol levels and put them at risk of developing heart disease later in life. Additionally, obese children now have diseases such as type 2 diabetes. And, just as important is the social devastation associated with teasing and joking that may lead to low self-esteem and depression.

So, how do your kids rate? Responding honestly to the following question will help you to determine if you need to be concerned about your children's fat and cholesterol intake.

On an average, per day, how much television do your children watch?

a) Less than two hours a day
b) Two to four hours a day
c) In excess of four hours a day

If you responded "b" to the question, your children are twice as likely to have worrisome cholesterol levels as children who watch less than two hours a day of television. Answering "c" raises the odds to four times.

What can a parent or caregiver do? Do not panic! Learn to fight cholesterol and fats, not fear them. Educate yourself so you are prepared to teach youngsters about healthy choices. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance present in foods of animal origin. Cholesterol in the blood helps form hormones, cell membranes, and other body substances. Fats are energy sources.

While families should strive for a low fat and/or low cholesterol diet, they are cautioned not to eliminate them entirely. A certain amount of fat is needed for energy and other body functions. Eating only fat-free foods prevent you from getting essential nutrients. The American Heart Association recommends less than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol in thediet, and less than 30 percent of total food calories should come from fats. However, youngsters under two years-of-age are an exception. They need a certain amount of fat to meet high energy needs. Hence, children under age two should not eat a low-fat diet and should drink whole milk, not skim milk.

Keeping up with fat and cholesterol intake can get to be a complicated task. Thanks to today's ever increasing selection of low and no-fat products, keeping the levels under control is becoming less of a challenge. We should begin at an early age to teach youth about good nutrition in an attempt to avoid all the fuss about making the right choices. Start by encouraging healthy snacks such as carrot sticks, celery stuffed with cheese or peanut butter, air-popped popcorn, graham crackers, apple sauce, raisins, and fresh fruit.

Make snacks fun as well as nutritious by allowing youngsters to prepare their own from time to time. This skill will come in handy during those times when there are no adult providers available to prepare snacks for them. Following is a simple safe and hearty snack recipe that can be prepared by young hands.

Salad in a Pocket

Equipment needed: Kitchen Scissors Paper towels Narrow spatula or table knife Mixing bowl
Ingredients: 2 large pita bread rounds 4 lettuce leaves 1 teaspoon of prepared mustard 4 slices of thinly sliced ham, chicken or turkey 4 slices (3/4 ounces) of American cheese Sweet pickle slices
Directions: Wash hands thoroughly. Use the kitchen scissors to cut the two pita bread rounds in half. Carefully open the bread with your fingers so you can see the pocket in the bread. Rinse the lettuce leaves in cold water. Put the lettuce leaves onto paper towels to drain. Pat lettuce leaves dry with some more paper towels. Using a narrow spatula or table knife spread the mustard on the inside of the four pita bread pockets. To make the sandwich filling, tear the ham, chicken or turkey, and the cheese into bite-size pieces. Put the torn pieces into a mixing bowl. Add a few sweet pickle slices to the mixing bowl. Lightly toss the filling around in the bowl to get a good mixture. Put a lettuce leaf into each pita bread pocket. Stuff each pita bread pocket with some of the sandwich filling.
Makes four pita sandwiches.

Remember parents have control over selecting and preparing most family meals. Make decisions that are good for everybody:

• Know normal weights, heights, and mass indexes for your children's ages
• Purchase fruits and vegetables for healthy choices
• Select low fat recipes and cooking methods
• Make meals colorful and inviting
• Serve meals family style
• Limit television time to less than two hours a day
  

In addition, the USDA just released the MyPyramid for Kids. Helpful tips for parents can be found online at MyPyramid for Kids.

Coyne, L. Lee. (2005). Childhood obesity: Problems/solutions. Retrieved September 13, 2005.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2005). Childhood obesity: What parents can do. Children's Health Center. MayoClinic.com. Retrieved September 13, 2005.

Mercola, Joseph. (2005). Childhood obesity becoming rampant. Retrieved September 13, 2005.

Torgan, Carol. (June 2002). Childhood obesity on the rise. Word on Health. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved September 13, 2005.

Your Family Nutrition Guide. (1992). Health update