Alblas MC, Mollen S, Wennekers AM, Fransen ML, van den Putte B. Consuming media, consuming food: investigating concurrent TV viewing and eating using a 7-d time use diary survey.
Public Health Nutr 2021;
26:1-10. [PMID:
34284844 PMCID:
PMC10131140 DOI:
10.1017/s1368980021002858]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
One explanation for the relationship between TV viewing and obesity is that people may (over)eat while watching TV. The current study investigated associations between TV viewing and the time spent on (concurrent) eating in a naturalistic setting among a general population sample.
DESIGN
Preregistered secondary data analyses were performed of a diary survey in which respondents reported their time use in 10-min blocks for 7 d.
SETTING
Concurrent TV viewing and eating was operationalised as all blocks in which TV viewing and eating occurred simultaneously. Furthermore, the TV content respondents watched was coded as food-related (i.e. culinary content) or non-food related.
PARTICIPANTS
The sample composed of 2292 adults (58·9 % female) in the Netherlands, aged ≥ 20 years, from all educational levels (18·1 % low, 29·8 % middle and 51·4 % high).
RESULTS
More than half of the respondents (51·3 %) reported concurrent TV viewing and eating at least once during the 7-d diary period. The average eating occasion was longer in duration while watching TV (v. without media use), and the total time spent on eating was longer on days of concurrent TV viewing and eating (v. days of eating without media use). The percentage of TV viewing time spent on concurrent eating did not differ between food-related and non-food-related TV content.
CONCLUSIONS
Eating while watching TV was related to an increased time spent on eating. Even though energy intake was not assessed, these findings from a naturalistic setting provide further evidence that concurrent TV viewing and eating may contribute to overeating.
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