Watching tv and eating habits: The results from 2006 to 2014 in Brazilian state capitals

Abstract

The objectives were to analyze trends in TV watching in Brazil and to identify the association between this habit and food consumption in the Brazilian adult population from 2006 to 2014. Data were obtained from the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Illnesses Using a Telephone Survey (VIGITEL) for the years 2006 to 2014. The daily habit of watching TV and consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, meat, milk, sodas, and/or sweetened beverages were analyzed over the period, and their association was investigated using regression models. The proportion of adults that reported watching more than three hours of TV per day did not vary significantly over the years, but these individuals showed declining consumption of healthy foods and increasing consumption of unhealthy foods. This situation was observed in both sexes and in all age and schooling brackets. The habit of watching TV is associated with unhealthy eating.