Television may affect teen diets and grades

by Lorna Benson, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — Teens who watch TV in their bedrooms eat fewer fruits and vegetables and spend less time exercising compared to their counterparts with no TV.

The findings from the University of Minnesota are based on a survey of 781 teens with diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Lead author of the study Daheia Barr-Anderson says investigators think the teens' poor eating habits have to do with exposure to food advertisements.

"I mean when's the last time that you've seen an advertisement for fruit and vegetables or to drink more water. What you usually see are lots of salty and sweet snacks and lots of sweetened beverages. And so we're thinking there's an influence of those food advertisements on your choices," Barr-Anderson said.

Researchers also found that boys who watched TV in their bedrooms had lower grade point averages than boys with no television in their rooms. The grade point disparity did not occur among girls in the survey.