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Is TV the greatest unacknowledged health threat of our time?

Dr Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, thinks so. In fact, he says there are fifteen different health risks for children associated with too much television and is urging the government to set guidelines for "recommended daily allowances" of television time.

After reviewing 35 academic studies on the subject, he has come up with the following guidelines for appropriate television watching for children:
  • children under three years old should watch NO television at all
  • ages 3 to 7 should watch television no more than 30 minutes to an hour each day
  • seven to 12-year-olds get an hour
  • 12 to 15-year olds should only watch for one-and-a-half hours
  • 16 and over can watch for two hours
"Many believe that we shouldn't make parents feel guilty about the amount of time children spend in front of a screen and the early age at which they start" Dr Sigman said. "But we must now make a clear judgment that child health is more important than parental guilt.

As for the health risks he says children face from too much television, they range from obesity to heart disease to disrupted sleep and lowered immunity. Short attention spans, risk of developing ADHD and even the early onset of puberty is being blamed on television.

His point, and it may be a good one, is that when parents talk about moderation and setting limits on television viewing, they need to know what is considered "excessive." By defining it, parents will known when to shut it off.

According to Dr. Sigman's recommendations, Ellie is probably watching a little more than she should. Is your child exceeding Dr. Sigman's recommended daily allowance of television?

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