Television And Fast Food: Too Much Viewing Harms Perception Of Healthy Eating

Distracted eating may lead to weight gain--particularly if you're slouched in front of the Idiot box watching your favorite shows during dinner.

A new study found that those who frequently watched TV were more likely to eat fast food and believe that it had fewer health consequences than those who spent less time doing so.

During the study, researchers at American University's Kogod School of Business and Stony Brook University surveyed over 1,000 teenagers who reported their TV viewing hours, beliefs regarding the consequences of eating fast food and the frequency of fast food consumption.

In addition to study results regarding health perceptions of fast food and watching TV, researchers also found that heavy TV viewers who rarely ate fast food were even more desensitized to unhealthy eating. On the other hand, those who regularly ate fast food had an awareness of health risks linked with poor eating.

The study authors noted that direct experience tends to regulate the relationship between TV exposure and risk perceptions.

"Given the strong association between TV viewing and unhealthy eating habits among youth, public health researchers and practitioners should carefully monitor and perhaps regulate the amount of fast-food advertising on TV and the content of TV programs," Researcher Cristel Russell, an associate professor of marketing with American University's Kogod School of Business, said in a news release. "Accurate portrayals of food consumption and its consequences are necessary to correct misperceptions among heavy TV viewers. Portrayals of positive food habits, such as the consumption of fruits and vegetables, in youth-oriented programming should also be encouraged, as previous experimental research has shown that such product placements can influence viewers' attitudes toward healthful food."

The study was published in the journal Appetite.

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