TV Can Be Bad for Children With Diabetes

This comes as no surprise to me, but children with type 1 diabetes who spent the most time glued to the TV had a tougher time controlling their blood sugar, according to a Norwegian study. Thanks to MSNBC and AP for alerting me to this important study.

The findings, the AP story notes, "lend support to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice that children watch no more than two hours of TV daily," quoting lead author Dr. Hanna Margeirsdottir of the University of Oslo.

As many of us already know, snacking and overeating raise your blood sugar levels while exercising lowers them. Of course, it’s important to note that watching TV requires no physical energy and often prompts kids to snack on junk food at the same time, especially when spurred on by tempting commercials.

The study’s findings are quite intriguing, but now I’d really like to see a similiar study conducted on children with type 2 diabetes, which is hitting the younger set in increasing numbers, as I point out in my book SUGAR SHOCK!

The AP story quotes two important diabetes educators, one of whom is Monica Joyce, founder of a basketball camp for diabetic children where children are taught “they can get much better blood sugars if they’re active,” according to Joyce.

The second expert makes an important point regarding prevention, which is that if the the Univ. of Oslo researchers’ theory is right, then simply turning off the TV could be added to the list of remedies “that are very low-cost to the health care system.” (This was according to Dr. Francine Kaufman, head of a diabetes program at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.)

Dr, Kaufman rightly insists: “This has got to be the social norm that it’s just not acceptable for kids to be baby-sat by TV.”

Coming soon: Speaking of TV-watching kids with diabetes, I’ll soon take a look at the wonderful new book, Ending the Food Fight, from David Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., one of America’s foremost children’s obesity experts. Dr. Ludwig is one of those health experts I was lucky enough to be able to interview for my book SUGAR SHOCK