Watching more TV may lead to increased snacking: Study

HOUSTON: People who watch excessive amounts of TV tend to eat more unhealthy foods and might not understand the foundations of a healthy diet, a new study suggests.

A number of previous studies found a relationship between TV use in terms of the number of hours watched per day and unhealthy food consumption.

"In essence, the number of hours of TV you watch per day, the more unhealthy foods you eat. A common explanation for this is that TV watching is sedentary and encourages snacking," said professor Temple Northup from the University of Houston (UH).

"I found people who watch more TV had both a poorer understanding of proper nutrition and a more fatalistic view towards eating well compared to those who watched less TV. In turn, those two items predicted snacking behaviours," said Northup.

"It is important to understand how people develop knowledge about nutrition, including examining nutritional messages found within the media," Northup added.

Northup suggests that because consumers are inundated with advertising for unhealthy food and messages about the latest trends in what you should (or shouldn't) eat, they develop these poor attitudes towards and knowledge about eating well.

The study was published in the International Journal of Communication and Health.