Screen Time, the Downfall of Today's Children

Screen Time the Downfall of Today’s Children
Jamie Kunsman
English Composition II
Professor Holly Ledcke
October 22, 2012

Childhood obesity is on the rise in the United States and leads to a myriad of childhood and adult health problems from hypertension to type II diabetes. “The prevalence of childhood obesity is now approaching 20% among US children aged 2 to 19 years, with the prevalence accelerating after age 5 years. “ (Boissonneault, 2011) With the current state of healthcare and unemployment in the United States, not only is this a problem for these children, but it becomes a public health problem as these children become adults with health problems and fall dependent on public healthcare. Much of the blame of childhood obesity falls on diet and “screen time” which is the time spent on computers, video games, or watching television instead of outdoors activities that involve some cardio exercise. In this article the author will show the effects of screen time on children and what parents can do to help their children overcome these problems.
Children in the modern era are more susceptible to childhood obesity because of technology. While it was previously thought that obesity was genetic, there are other factors that can lead to childhood obesity.
“When childhood obesity was compared against all the main independent variables (heredity, physical activity levels, sedentary behavior patterns, and dietary intake) using a logistic regression model, it was shown that the strongest independent predictor of childhood obesity was if the child 's mother was also obese. However, if the child participated in a large number of hours of sedentary activity daily there was also a strong association with obesity.” (Arluk, Branch, Swain, & Dowling, 2003)
The combination of screen time and fast food are a time bomb for any child and are rapidly becoming the largest cause for childhood obesity. In the modern era most households who have two parents have both of them working or children are raised by a single parent who are feeding the fire by living the fast food life style and having latch key children. While this is not always the case children living in this environment spend most of the free time in front of a screen (ie television, computers, & video games) instead of outside playing with friends do activities like playing sports, riding bicycles or any other physical exercise. “Screen time is on the schedule of most family members each day. Video games offer an exciting activity in the “downtime” after a busy school day for many kids. A video serves as babysitter after Mom picks up the kids from day care and rushes to get dinner ready.“ (Dalton, 2004) This finding is strong proof that it is not necessarily a genetic defect but also a lifestyle problem that is causing the childhood obesity explosion. While genetics play a major part in childhood obesity the technology and diet is largely becoming a major contributor to the cause of this debilitating disease.
Technology and diet are intermingled in that as children spend more time in front of a screen they are usually consuming some sort of junk food while being inundated with commercials about foods that usually are not good for them. Dalton tells us that the average US child watches in excess of 1200 hours of television and some 33000 commercials per year. It is these same commercials that are targeting children by advertising during children shows or cartons where they know that the audience is primarily children. High sugar and high fat food and drink products regularly target these types of programming to attract children to try their products. Children in turn with nag and annoy their parents to try it until the parent gives into the child and purchases the product.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the tool used to determine obesity. Obesity in children is gauged differently than it is in adults. In children the BMI is calculated using the same formula as it is for adults, but then instead of using standard ranges like they do for adults, children’s results are compared to growth charts based on age and gender. The Center For Disease Control (CDC) states that an obese child is someone who is in the 95th percentile of the growth chart for their age, while an obese adult is anyone who’s BMI is greater than 30 when calculated using their formula. Anyone who has a BMI above 39 would be considered morbidly obese.
Children that are spending this much time in front of the screen are taking away from the amount of exercise that they are doing. Before television, computers, and video games children played at the neighborhood parks with friends expending all the built up energy from a day of sitting in class. Now most children are on their phones or games from the time they leave school until they get home and then continue with television, video games or computers until it is time for them to go to bed. As they sit in front of the screens they like to snack on some of their favorite foods that they have been seeing on television until their parents come home to either make dinner or provide a takeout meal. “Television viewing is thought to promote weight gain not only by displacing physical activity, but also by increasing energy intake. Children seem to passively consume excessive amounts of energy-- dense foods while watching television.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak, Ludwig, 2002) All of this leads to many carbohydrates consumed and none burned off compiling the weight on. The longer children are allowed to continue this lifestyle the harder it will be to turn it around. Finding that balance of food intake and energy burn off is hard to do once someone becomes sedentary. Children who are sedentary for a long period of time are less likely to want to get out and do thing because they have become accustom to their lifestyle and enjoy playing games or being on the computer interacting with their friends instead of outside playing games.
Some will say that there is no specific proof that there is a relationship between screen time and reduced physical activity. Instead “reductions in the targeted sedentary behavior (screen time) in overweight children 4 to 7 years resulted in less energy intake and weight loss but did not lead to increased physical activity.” (Jordan, 2010) This still reduced the obesity by having a lower food intake without increasing physical activity. It has been scientifically proven that, “obesity, whether in children or adults, results from an imbalance in energy intake and energy expenditure.” (Estabrooks, 2008) As the children who were studied had their screen time reduced, this slowed the eating habits, but as these eating habits slowed the desire for increased activity did not take over. All these studies are showing is that the screen time does not directly associate with physical activity. If a further study was conducted where of children who had reduced screen time since birth and were involved in physical activity as compared to those who were always using screen time for the babysitter convenience the results may be different. Children who have become used to their screen time tend to be more sedentary and less likely to want to engage in physical activity because they get their enjoyment and stimulation from the screen interaction and it requires little to no effort. The end result is weight gain and a cascading number of health problems.
The effects that childhood obesity has on the child’s body are astounding. “As with adults, obesity in childhood causes hypertension, dyslipidemia, chronic inflammation, increased blood clotting tendency, endothelial dysfunction, and hyperinsulinaemia.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak, Ludwig, 2002) Some of these diseases have long term effects on the body and without proper treatment can lead to death. Another one of the effects of childhood obesity is adult obesity and sometime morbid adult obesity. As childhood obesity reaches epidemic proportions this will have not only an impact on those directly affected by the disease but will lead to increases in public welfare costs as well as increased health care rates for the entire populous.
Childhood obesity is directly related to adult obesity which is rapidly consuming the United States. “Approximately 80% of 10- to 15-year-olds who are overweight become obese adults by the age of 25 years. “ (Whitaker, 1997) This upward trending lifestyle has had negative impacts on the United States economy. Some of the areas affected by obesity are the work place, insurance companies, and health care. In the work place “obesity costs U.S. companies more than $13 billion annually in health care and lost productivity, including 39 million lost workdays.” (National Business Group on Health, 2004) Insurance companies are dealing with factors like whether or not to pay out on insurance claims because this may be a lifestyle choice and not always a disease. The health care community has to spend large hospital budget dollars to acquire enough special equipment to treat obese and morbidly obese patients.
“Nearly 20% of hospitals are remodeling their physical facilities by widening doors, making rooms larger, adding ceiling rails to hang hoists, and purchasing special equipment (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging equipment for patients weighing 450 pounds or more and scales supporting up to 1,000 pounds). Hospitals also must purchase larger gowns, beds, and blood pressure cuffs to care for this population.” (Thompson, 2004)
These increase expenditures by the hospitals are then conveyed back to the patients and insurance companies making the vicious circle of increased cost which all end back at the consumer. In addition to the increased costs to health care are the increased risks to health care workers, “several hospitals are considering adopting no-lift policies to decrease injuries to health care workers who are lifting heavier patients.” (Thompson, 2004) These policies will also drive requirements for more specialized equipment in order to safely move these types of patients in the hospital. As we move forward we as a society need to adopt policies and practices to help curb childhood obesity to prevent this from becoming a problem of epic proportions.
As a society we will need to work together to turn this disease around for the good of the entire country. “Family intervention is implemented on the premise that parental support, family functioning, and home environment are important determinants of treatment outcomes.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak, Ludwig, 2002) Parents need to take an active role in their child’s daily activities to ensure that they are spending as much time doing physical activity as they are spending in front of a screen. While screens are a large part of our educational advancement most of the time spent is not productive and be put to better use doing something active. Parents must also make an effort to be involved in the activities their children are doing leaving their own screen time behind. As technology moves forward and becomes more accessible to everyone, everywhere, society has become a place where conversation and activity are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. We all need to do our part to get outdoors and do some physical activity, whether that best exercise, work around the house, or volunteer time, take the children with you and engage them into the adult activities, encourage your children to turn it off and get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air.
The education system needs to be involved by ensuring that activities such as recess and gym class are receiving full participation, from all students, regardless of the students or teachers situations. Likewise education needs to be part of the equation, “curriculum that aims to decrease dietary fat consumption, increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, promote physical activity, and limit television time.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak, Ludwig, 2002) It is through these efforts at the school that the children will learn the consequences of their actions of poor diet, lack of physical activity, and screen time. Ideally this would also show them what lies ahead for them if they do not put forth the effort to turn around the poor habits that they already possess. As a society we expose children to screen time at a very early age and television has now become a built in babysitter for some young children getting them hooked on screens at a very early age.
Throughout this research the author has tried to show the negative effects that childhood obesity is having on our children, our lives, and our economy. Left untreated this exploding epidemic will reach pandemic proportions in a matter of years. It is incumbent upon the parents and educators along with healthcare professionals to get this problem under control before it is too late.

References
Arluk, S. L., Branch, J. D., Swain, D. P., & Dowling, E. A. (2003). Childhood obesity 's relationship to time spent in sedentary behavior. Military Medicine, 168(7), 583-6. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/217051052?accountid=32521
Boissonneault, Gilbert A, PhD., P.A.-C. (2011). CHILDHOOD OBESITY: Screening and early intervention. JAAPA : Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, 24(9), 24- 24, 27. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/900157316?accountid=32521
Dalton, Sharron. (2004) Our Overweight Children : What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. University of California Press http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ashford/Doc?id=10064733&ppg=99
Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002). Childhood obesity: Public-health crisis, common sense cure. The Lancet, 360(9331), 473-82. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/199052779?accountid=32521
Estabrooks, P. A., PhD., Fisher, E. B., PhD., & Hayman, Laura L, PhD, R.N., F.A.A.N. (2008). What is needed to reverse the trends in childhood obesity? A call to action. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 36(3), 209-16. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-008-9070-7
Jordan, A. B. (2010). Children 's television viewing and childhood obesity. Pediatric Annals, 39(9), 569-73. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/00904481-20100825-08
National Business Group on Health. (2004, June). Reining in the rising cost of obesity. Retrieved November 9, 2004, from www.wbgh.com
Thompson, D. (2007). The costs of obesity: what occupational health nurses need to know. AAOHN Journal, 55(7), 265-270.
Whitaker RC, Wright JA, Pepe MS, et al. Predicting obesity in young adulthood from childhood and parental obesity. N Engl J Med. 1997; 337(13):869-873.

References: Arluk, S. L., Branch, J. D., Swain, D. P., & Dowling, E. A. (2003). Childhood obesity 's relationship to time spent in sedentary behavior Dalton, Sharron. (2004) Our Overweight Children : What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic Estabrooks, P. A., PhD., Fisher, E. B., PhD., & Hayman, Laura L, PhD, R.N., F.A.A.N. (2008). What is needed to reverse the trends in childhood obesity? A call to action November 9, 2004, from www.wbgh.com Thompson, D