Energy intake associated with television viewing in adolescents, a cross sectional study

Abstract

The present study examines the energy intake resulting from eating snacks and drinking energy containing drinks while watching television. 2546 first and fourth year students in a random sample of 15 secondary schools in Flanders, Belgium received quantifiable, closed survey questions about average weekly TV viewing volume and about eating five types of snacks and drinking two types of soft drinks. On an average, the respondents watched 22:27 h of television per week (SD=11:53). Only 3.5% of the adolescents never eat snacks or drink soft drinks while they watch TV. Estimated daily energy intake accompanying TV viewing amounts to 19% of the Belgian average energy allowance (AEA) in boys and between 12 and 14% of AEA in girls. On an average 1 h of watching television equals the consumption of 653 kJ.