Turn off the TV, tune into health 

April 23-29 is National Turn Off the TV Week. During this week, schools can encourage students and their families to turn off the television and turn on to fun family activities!

Collectively, Americans spend 231 billion hours per year watching television, according to The Television Project. For adults, that translates into watching TV approximately two months out of the year. For children, that means spending more time watching television than any other single activity.

Sedentary activities such as watching television, playing video games, and using computers affect both activity levels and diet – the two major components of lifestyle that impact weight. Studies have shown that an increase in sedentary behavior contributes to an increase in obesity and the risk for developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics are that children under two years of age should not be watching TV. Children over two years of age and adolescents should have two hours of TV or less per day, and adults should watch no more than 10 hours of TV per week. 

The purpose of National Turn off the TV Week is to encourage families to spend time normally spent in front of a screen to explore other fun activities. Encourage your students and staff members to take this opportunity to ride a bike, take a walk, toss a Frisbee, and play, play, play!

For more information, visit www.healthysd.gov.