(16-05-07) Extra Hours in Front of the TV Leads to Obesity

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Parents may want to limit their young children's television viewing after hearing the results of a new study. A report from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor shows pre-school children who watch more than two hours of television a day are more likely to be overweight.
Previous studies show the impact of television viewing on the weight of school-aged children, but few researchers have examined the connection in pre-school aged kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children under 2 be limited to less than two hours of television a day, but studies have not necessarily looked at whether the recommendation is followed and what impact it has on the child.
In the current study, more than 1,000 children from the United States were evaluated. Mothers were questioned about their child's viewing habits on weekdays and weekends when the children were around 36 months old. The children had their height and weight assessed at 36 months and again at 54 months.
Of the 1,000 children in the study, less than a third were exposed to less than two hours of television each day. On the other hand, more than 68 percent watched more than two hours. Those children who watched more television were more likely to be overweight at the first weigh-in and to remain overweight at the follow up.
Researchers also discovered children who watched more than two hours of television a day tended to have more behavior problems and were more likely to have mothers with depressive symptoms as well as a less stimulating home environment.
Study authors say these findings point to the need for physicians to discuss television exposure with parents during the well-child examination before and during the pre-school years. They say this holds especially true in disadvantaged populations.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 2006;160:417-422

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