Content
Is it okay to give your child a phone while eating: a popular parenting trick and expert opinion
05.06.2024 19:31
When it is not possible to feed the child, parents resort to various tricks, but it all comes down to using a smartphone or tablet.
But experts have long been saying that you can't eat and watch TV. Distraction at the table causes overeating and obesity.
What Science Says
Screen time, as we call the time spent interacting with devices (smartphone, TV, laptop, tablet, computer), is a scientifically proven risk factor for obesity, especially for young people, say experts from Rospotrebnadzor.
When distracted by television or another stimulus, the brain does not react to the taste of food, and the person does not feel full and does not control the amount of food eaten.
Eating while using gadgets also causes a decrease in metabolism, which ultimately slows down fat burning.
Data on the harm of eating with gadgets or TV are confirmed by studies conducted by employees of the University of Birmingham (UK) and Rutgers University (USA).
Parents' mistake
Using the gadget, parents are satisfied. But because the child's attention is focused on the screen, he cannot fully taste the food, chews food less thoroughly, which can result in choking (if swallowing a large piece) or indigestion and upset stomach.
The worst thing is that all this can become a habit.
What to do
It is best to feed the child when the parents eat themselves. At the same time, you can talk about the prepared products, which is much better than cartoons.
Previously we told you what to do if your baby regurgitates .
