IDIOT BOX-A HEALTH HAZARD?

Of all the causes cited for diabetes epidemic, the one that stands out is TV watching! Is there any substance in such an argument? Diabetes was a disease afflicting mankind even before the advent of television and other electronic entertainment technologies and many will consider such a view as preposterous. While stress and emotional disturbances encountered in actual life situation can have an influence on the onset of diseases like diabetes, BP and CVD, dispassionate watching of a TV program, even if it is emotionally affecting, may not have any lasting impact on health. Watching from close quarters is known to have adverse effect on eyes because of the radiation emitted from the TV. Then how come some believe TV has an influence on developing disorders of different types amongst the viewers?

With massive expansion of television net works and satellite TV net works beaming non-stop programs, 24x7 through out the year, there is bound to be a tendency to hook on to TV viewing for longer periods, especially by house wives, who do not go for work. Even amongst gents, depending on the work load at the work place, TV viewing can take considerable time in a day. On an average man spends about 8 hours in sleep while remaining time of 16 hours is spent on activities like work, travel and watching TV, all sitting comfortably. On week ends the proportion of time devoted to TV can increase dramatically while modern kitchens give lot of spare time to house wives for watching their favorite programs on TV. In Western countries over eating because of TV is rampant adding unwanted calories and undesirable fats to the daily foods. TV is also accused of creating the 'compulsive' eating habits when one consumes food without the need to satisfy hunger. Less and less physical activity and more and more eating activity can be very devastating on human health.

The startling finding by a study group in Australia that for almost 23 hours in a day people are in resting posture while remaining in upright position only for one hour, raises many disturbing questions regarding the life style brought about by affluence across the world! Probably blaming TV alone for this effect on the society may not be justifiable. Even if it is partially true, simple adjustments in TV watching can bring about dramatic improvements for the well being of the viewers . Since in many programs more than 50% of the time is taken up by commercial advertisements, one is advised to get up and walk a little bit before resuming the sitting posture for viewing the program. Of course the promoters who sponsor the ads may not like the idea! Similarly, not using the remote control device and instead, getting up to change channels can give some respite from ill effects of continued sitting for hours together in front of the idiot box. It is believed that longer one sits, higher can be the risk for developing disorders like diabetes, BP and CVD and frequent getting up and short walk can preempt such risks to a great extent.

New home designs even incorporate a unique feature where house wives can continue to do their kitchen chores while watching programs on TV and such innovations can bring about dramatic improvements in health status of women who are avid TV watchers with about a dozen regular serial shows in their 'must see list'. Many modern homes combine living room, dining and kitchen facilities in such a way one can have the flexibility to mix entertainment with daily chores like food preparation and consumption without disruption. Of course puritans will always frown upon the idea of open cooking area since food preparations can generate strong smells but smell is an integral part of the appetite stimulating mechanism and such designs can contribute to more desirable eating environment.

Avoiding sitting for long time is advocated by medical experts also for improving blood circulation and air travelers on long haul routes are even advised to move their limbs and body often to prevent development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) which can be fatal in some cases. Probably watching TV for long time in sitting or inclined positions, especially in house holds where servants shoulder the major responsibility of physical work, DVT may not be a danger but long term risks of diabetes, CVD and BP could be real unless TV viewing is regularly interrupted by frequent moving around in the house. Frequent power failures, scheduled or unscheduled, in many parts of the country was indirectly helping the situation as many cable net works do not provide service during such occasions though lately advent of Direct TV through dish antennae and wide scale use of inverters ensure 24 hour viewing of programs with practically no disruption. Voluntary restraint and exercising discretion while viewing the programs can be the best course to avoid diseases than cripple life by uncontrolled TV watching, accompanied by frequent snacking. Calling the TV set as an idiot box may not be fair because it is the people who watch them deserve the epithet more appropriately!


V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/

FOOD HABITS-INFLUENCE OF THE "IDIOT BOX"!

TV viewing by children is sought to be regulated through mandatory control by the GOI as well as voluntary restrictions by the media industry. Screen violence, indecent images and dialogs and content language
can have far reaching influence on the tender minds of children who cannot exercise viewer discretion unlike the adults. The very fact that TV medium has access to millions of homes make it a powerful communicator with potential for harm as well as benefits, depending on how it is harnessed. Depicting smoking or drinking on the screen, especially by familiar personalities with name and fame can have an "imitating" influence on youngsters, aspiring to become some body in life.

When it comes to promotion of food products on the small screen, very little restraint seems to be in place, looking at hundreds of advertisements sponsored by manufacturers of processed foods. In the absence of food and nutrition experts working with the monitoring authorities, many advertisers get away with ludicrous claims of benefits in consuming their products. In a startling observation in the UK it was found that kids spending hours in front of the TV end up with bad eating habits by unconsciously believing that those appearing on the ads are good for them. It is a common knowledge that mostly less healthy food products are advertised in the TV while healthy foods rarely receive any publicity at all. There are isolated instances of industries collectively taking up nutritional causes that may benefit their range of products collectively. Promotion of milk and egg is a typical example but these days these ads are becoming conspicuous by their rare appearances.

How can any one blame the kids when their favorite actor sips a fizz drink in style, singing virtues about the product? Can we find fault with the mothers if they believe in the ads that emphatically proclaims about growing tall, sharp and smart if a particular beverage is consumed? Branded potato chips have become the standard bearer as far as the youths are concerned, thanks mainly to the near saturation advertisements in almost all TV channels. RTE breakfast cereals, most of them loaded with sugar appear every day tempting the kids as well as the mothers to replace traditional foods like Idli, Vada, Dosa, Uppuma, Poori or Chapathi. Is there no way out of this quagmire we see ourselves in? Voluntary restraint by the industry is more easily said than done because business has no human face or social commitment, being driven relentlessly by profit motives and one cannot blame them entirely for this as their investments are at stake. If ads about cigarettes and liquors can be banned, why not apply the same yardstick to those food ads which are misleading? Why cant we have a "TRUTH PANEL" consisting of nutritionists and food scientists to arbitrate on ads which do not reflect reality vis-a-vis foods? At least such ads should have nutritional warnings that consuming them can have negative consequences also.

ICMR, under the Ministry of Health, should take the lead in evolving a practical code for food advertisements and evaluation of outlandish claims with practically no scientific basis. Also for consideration is whether to insist on including a nutritional message with each food ad that appears on the small screen. For example when a cola drink is promoted why not include a message that natural fruit juices are best for the health, or including a message about virtues of fresh vegetables in ads promoting potato chips or highlighting the goodness of milk in ads promoting instant coffee. The MFPI of GOI must take up on a priority development of promotional capsules that will stress on good eating habits, nutritional advantages of traditional foods, superiority of fresh fruits and vegetables for good health, virtues of taking milk regularly and similar causes. Promoting food industry at any cost should not be the motto of the GOI and State Governments but how best it can be done, without compromising on the health of the population, should be upper most in their mind while evolving any future strategy.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/