5 Keys to Helping Kids Avoid Obesity

3. Limit media time. Of all the areas I speak to patients about, our society’s excessive amount of time spent on media is the habit that poses the greatest challenge. Most parents underestimate the amount of time their kids spend on media. Current data reveals that U.S. children spend an average of 7.5 hours a day staring at screens. This screen time is affecting their physical activity, slowing their metabolism, interfering with their sleep cycles, exposing them to toxic advertising, and taking over time that could be spent interacting with family, friends, honing their artistic skills or growing their spiritual life. It is recommended that children limit screen time to two hours or less a day. With the excess time that children and adults are spending on screens, their hearts and minds are being continuously bombarded with the material and sometimes corrupt values of the world.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Phil. 4:8).