By: Bhairavi Jhaveri| March 22, 2007
A recent survey of 68,000 American women found that watching just 2 hours of TV every day, can make you 23% fatter. With Mumbaikars making a habit of munching their meals before the idiot box, Life@Work uncovers how TV is ruining the eating habits of 3 couch potatoes
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Mindless channel surfing is a major stressbuster, the city's working crowd would agree. Primetime television transmits tearjerking soaps, high stake game shows and comedies — Kasamh Se, Kaun Banega Crorepati, F.R.I.E.N.D.S and Seinfeld to name a few — that perfectly coincide with dinnertime.
What's better than popping your dinner in the microwave, and slumping onto the couch to watch a no-brainer flick on Filmy? You begin to get comfortable with this lifestyle; it becomes a clockwork pattern. And the day you miss a show, you feel like you have worked too hard; exercising takes a backseat.
Your diet suffers too. Cookery shows that make your mouth water, like Mirch Masala and Khaana Khazana, and tantalising junk food ads now fall under the term — "gastro-po*n", which stands for televised messages that encourage mindless snacking due to their impeccable presentation of food. So, the next time you see a particularly succulent-looking pizza on TV, you know it's not just an ad you are salivating over.
How you fall prey to junk food ads
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1. If a well known brand launches a new food product, people will try it out even if it is unhealthy and full of saturated fat. They may even make a repeat purchase.
2. Fans blindly buy foods endorsed by celebrities and sports stars, and even believe the celebrities' tall claims.
3. Readymade food products are the most advertised products on TV. They contain large amounts of salts, sugars, colours and preservatives. The highest buyers for noodles and pastas, which are addictive are gullible students and single people.
4. The beauty is in the packaging. Attractive presentation tempts viewers into buying food, which could be high in fat. If a commercial claims a drink is fortified with vitamins, the consumer is likely to pick it up immediately. But such commercials don't usually mention that the drink is still very high in sugar and calories.
5. Puffery makes junk food sell. It means glorifying, over-flattering of claims, especially for promotion. Terms like "outstanding", "the best", "No. 1" used in TV ads make consumers addicted to products and unhealthy food habits.
We got Preethi Jagadeesh, nutritionist at MS Ramaiah Memorial Hospital in Bangalore, to tell us if these 2 TV addicts are eating right
Living alone = TV addiction + bad eating habits
Case Study 1
Ragini Singh, 24, PR Consultant, Corporate Voice Weber Shandwick 
No time to cook: Since she hits the gym straight after work, it's 10 pm by the time she is home. "Once I am home, I am too tired to cook. So, I order takeaway at least 4-5 times a week. "I eat 'healthy junk' like a Subway sandwich on weekdays, but gorge on pizzas and Chinese food on the weekend."
TV is best buddy:
She has room mates, but their timings don't match. "Since there is no one home to interact with, the idiot box has turned into my best friend and midnight snacking, my pastime," says Ragini. Eating a dessert or a chocolate, out of boredom, is a must every day.
Is Ragini Eating Right?
Preethi says, "Since Ragini lives alone, food fights boredom and provides her with solace. But nibbling on fatty, salty and oily junk food late at night while watching TV, could lead to indigestion and acidity. A slumped posture could cause pear-shaped obesity."
The cheese, mayonnaise and salad dressing in a Subway sandwich are fattening.
Ragini could make cooking a habit by compromising on her TV viewing. Her midnight snacking should include healthier foodstuffs like fruits, instead of junk food.
TV is making family dinners obsolete
Case Study 2
Sunny Amlani, 23, Assistant Account Manager - Digital Services, www.hungama.com 
His family owns 3 TV sets: "One each in my room, my parents' room and the living room. Under no circumstance can I sit through saas-bahu soaps after work," says Sunny, who eats his meals only with the TV on.
Dinner time varies for everyone: Working hours vary, and hence every family member dines at a different time.
Is Sunny Eating Right?
Eating alone, with the TV on will ruin your eating habits, and in turn, your health.
When you are concentrating on a show, you lose track of the amount of food you are consuming, and the pace at which you are eating. So, you could end up overeating.
It takes around 10 minutes for the brain to register that your stomach is full; something easily missed when you eat rapidly.
Eating with the family promotes a balanced diet. You are forced to eat foods you would normally avoid and are, in fact, good for you. Dinner table conversation also prompts you to eat slowly.
Since you eat in the bedroom itself, you tend to hit the sack straight after dinner. This leads to deposition of fat in the abdomen. Your metabolic rate goes down when you eat while watching TV, and you automatically start gaining weight.
Remove the TV set from the bedroom to curb weight gain.
Junk food ads make him hungry
Rachit Mehta, 20, Editor at post-production house, Cutting Crew 
"I indulge in at least 2-3 hours of TV-viewing every day, and the junk food commercials in-between shows are major snacking triggers," says 20-year-old Rachit, who finds Pizza Hut and McDonald's commercials, the most tempting.
"The way the cheese melts on the crust, gets my mouth salivating within seconds." So powerful are the commercials that within two days of seeing one, Rachit hits the pizza parlour or orders takeaway, once or twice a week."
https://www.mid-day.com/life-at-work/2007/march/153936.htm
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