Media Message

Children, the Diabetes Epidemic and the Media Connection

Diabetes is a debilitating chronic disease afflicting more than 16 million Americans, and more and more often, it is afflicting young people. Traditionally, Type 2 or “adult onset” diabetes was a disease that attacked the elderly. Now the highest rates of increase are among young people. Previously rare, Type 2 diabetes in children now accounts for 16 percent of new cases.

The good news is that Type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by lifestyle, so it is mostly preventable. Scientists agree: the primary cause of Type 2 diabetes is obesity.

The Media Connection

There are three main reasons heavy media use leads to obesity.

Lack of physical activity. Physical activity burns off calories. Less activity means unused calories are converted to fat.
Television viewing lowers metabolism. The metabolism rate while passively watching television is actually lower than a resting metabolism rate.
Heavy TV watchers have poor dietary habits. Research shows children who watch a lot of TV are lured into eating high-fat snacks and eat fewer fruits and vegetables.

Encouraging children to limit media use and increase physical activity is an essential strategy in diabetes prevention.

Reprinted with permission from The National Institute on Media and the Family. For more information on this organization, visit their Web site at www.mediafamily.org.