If there is one strategy that research has shown to be effective for weight control and is not too difficult to implement, it is to reduce the number of hours spent watching television.

The trouble with TV watching is that one stays very still with eyes glued to the screen for long periods of time and the energy consumed with this sedentary activity is very low, even compared to reading a book or drawing.

Added to this is the hazard of TV advertising, which for childrens' programs has a very strong bias towards advertising for junk food, ie. food that is high in fat and sugars. This makes it very tempting to overconsume calories. Often ad breaks are used to raid the fridge or cupboard for a high calorie snack. On the other hand if one is reading, writing, drawing or just fiddling around with a hobby type activity there are no such triggers for snacking and these activities tend to keep us busy.

By the way, having TVs in bedrooms is a guaranteed way of increasing viewing hours and should be avoided. Also having the telly on during mealtimes can lead to overeating and is certainly not sociable.

Replacing TV viewing for some outside activity such as playing a game, riding a bike or walking the dog is even more likely to burn energy and should be encouraged. However there is one word of warning - if it is a parent instructing a child to go outside and play while they themselves sit and watch the telly, the message is unlikely to get through. All strategies to help children control their weight must be done as a family - then it has a really good chance of being successful.