Children Watching Television Risk Health Problems

Psychologist Aric Sigman has published a study in the science journal Biologist that warns that children who watch television too much can suffer more harm than previously thought. It found that the popular activity inhibits production of the hormone melatonin, which affects the immune system, sleep cycle and commencement of puberty.

Sigman suggests it is this lower levels of melatonin that cause girls to reach puberty much earlier and increase in average weight than in the past.

Other effects of watching television that Sigman found include possible cause of autism, possible cause of permanent eyesight damage, possible factor in obesity, and risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Infants and toddlers suffer from irregular sleep patterns and therefore higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Sigman is urging the British government to make this issue a top health priority and banning young children from watching television but introducing it progressively and under control. He blamed the current trends - average 6-year-old British child has watched 1 year of television and more than half of 3-year-old children have a television set in their bedrooms - on the lack of parental responsibility.

Sigman is the author of the book "Remotely Controlled: How Television Is Damaging Our Lives".

Links:

PhysOrg.com - Television poses risk to childrens' health: study
<URL:http://physorg.com/news91104374.html>

Wikipedia - Melatonin
<URL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin>

Technorati Tags: health, television, watching television, health risks, melatonin

Gabriel In My Nokia N70

Some photos taken between July to September 2006 of my little clever boy.

13 July 2006: Favourite vehicle - car.

14 July 2006: Distracted by flashy graphics and sound on the TV.

19 August 2006: Itchy/curious fingers at the hardware shop.

27 August 2006: Got to sit here everytime we start off.

23 September 2006: Testing the stability of the sign.

Gabriel frequently amazes us with his keen senses, memory and developmental skills.

He is able to join in singing songs by saying the last word of a stanza. This week when we were singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", he sang "what you are"! Other times he would be humming to the tune or trying to mimick the words, but this was the clearest he has ever sang.

When mummy took Gabriel out for a walk around our home, he saw a signboard put up on a lamp post. It was an advertisement for the satellite pay channels. Mummy initially couldn't believe it when he shouted "Astro"! We know that no one has told him about it even though he watches a little bit per week. Possibly he has been listening to the word spoken in commercial breaks.

So you see, don't under-estimate the perceptive power and learning potential of babies and toddlers. We are thoroughly convinced that my son, like his peers, are at the age when their brains are absorbing and processing data at an unprecedented rate. The Shichida Method and Glenn Doman's institute support this important characteristic of our little ones.

Technorati Tags: gabriel, photos, development, new skill, sing, sing songs, twinkle twinkle little star, learning potential, perceptive power, shichida method, glenn doman