[Feature] TV: It Does the Body Good.

Remember the good old days of being baby-sat by the TV? You know, turning the tube on as soon as coming home from school, doing your homework in front of it, falling asleep to it, the usual… No? Oh, was that just me? Well it turns out that spending your entire childhood in front of the TV is bad for you. What, you say? Yeah. Big shocker, I know. Apparently it makes kids lazy and dumb and uninspired to go out and be active. Given that 15% of American children are considered to be obese, and with that number growing by the year, it is not surprising that everyone, from the government to advertisers to major networks, are trying to do something about it.

In response to the grumblings about the general unhealthy state of American kids, news came early this summer that major food companies, such as McDonald’s, PepsiCo, and Campbell Soup, had agreed to stop advertising to children under 12 for food that didn’t meet the set nutritional standards. This was HUGE (heh, I guess much like the kids we’re dealing with here). After all, industry estimates show that advertisers spend up to $900 million on television tailored to children 12 and under.

By not advertising to kids, that number would significantly decrease, quite possibly leading to a hefty loss in profits. However, should these actions by these major corporations necessarily garner a pat on the back? Not really, the decision to do this most likely stemmed from overdue pressures from child advocacy groups and imminent lawsuits. But still, actually putting people first instead of profit? That’s pretty interesting to think about.

The crackdown on nationwide childhood obesity extends well into the television that kids watch. Most of the major networks that cater to children have put into action various programs, whether on-air, online, or beyond, to help in the campaign for active living. Combined with the efforts of advertisers to cut back on promoting unhealthy lifestyles, it almost seems like media is heading towards a new wave of philanthropy.

A couple of years ago, the Cartoon Network implemented their Get Animated program, which encourages kids to (gasp!) turn off their TV and get outside. Part of this program included Rescuing Recess, which kicks off National Recess Week. Did anyone even know that the last week of September is National Recess Week, let alone remember what recess was like? I vaguely have memories of rushing to finish lunch, and then getting outside to play for 5 minutes before the bell rang for the next class. My memory probably sums up most kids’ experience with recess; only 4% of state schools have any sort of policy that ensures daily recess in elementary schools. And with increasing budget cuts and academic pressure, many U.S. schools are being forced to cut down or eliminate altogether recess from their daily schedules.

Similarly, Nickelodeon executed the Let’s Go Healthy Challenge around the same time, with the same idea- an on-air and on-line bombardment of promotions to get kids moving again. To take it a step further, the network broadcasted three hours of dead air on a Saturday earlier this fall to get kids off the couch and outside. The move was probably risky on their part, since there are a ton of other kid-friendly channels those children could have watched instead. But more importantly, Nickelodeon, like Cartoon, was sending out a clear message: we care about your well being, so get outside, get active, and get healthy.

Only time will tell just how effective these initiatives were in curbing childhood obesity. But as influential as the media and television can be, they can only play a small part in real life. It’s quick and easy to blame the spike in child obesity and inactivity to TV, advertising, and technological advances. But the truth is, kids just really need parents, teachers, and mentors that can teach them about healthy eating and incorporating activities into their lives. However, that is an oversimplified solution to a more complicated problem, so it’s pretty commendable that the media can be used for the good, and to actually teach instead of merely entertaining. So maybe TV isn’t that bad for you at all. Watch on, kids, watch on.