TV on? Kids shun veggies

The more television children watch, the less fruit and vegetables they eat, probably because the advertising they see leaves them craving junk food instead, a study said Monday.

Heavy television viewing by children has been linked to eating more junk food, to getting less exercise and to obesity, but this was the first study to show that TV watching led to a lower consumption of fruits and vegetables, said the report, which was published in the journal Pediatrics.

Renee Boynton-Jarrett of the Harvard School of Public Health, the author of the study, said most food advertising aired during children’s shows conflicts with healthy eating habits.