If you have planned to spend the long weekend in front of the TV with your children, be aware that this is not recommended at all for their health. A new American study is fueling knowledge about the harmful effects of television on children, and its conclusion is unequivocal.
5 year olds watching tv for an hour or more a day are at risk ofobesity up to 73% higher than those who watch it for less than an hour.
Presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in San Diego (USA), the study was conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia. The latter studied the measurements (height and weight) of 11,113 children aged 5 between 2011 and 2012. The parents were then questioned about their children’s television and computer habits, as well as their socio-professional and ethnic origins. Over just one year of follow-up, the results show that young American children watch television for 3.3 hours per day on average. But according to pediatricians, those who spend more than an hour in front of the TV every day have a much higher body mass index than others, regardless of their origin.
Thus, after analyzes, the study states that a child spending at least an hour in front of television has a risk of obesity from 58 to 73% higher than that incurred by those who watch it for less than 60 minutes. The risk of being overweight is increased by 50 to 60%. In contrast, the study found no link between the time spent in front of a computer screen and the overweight of these young children.
If these results are not surprising with regard to television since sedentary lifestyle is closely linked to being overweight, this is the first time that researchers have taken an interest in children of this age group. .
“In view of the overwhelming evidence between the time spent in front of the television and overweight, pediatricians and parents should try to limit children’s exposure to television, ”said Dr. Maek DeBoer, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia.
Currently, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises limiting television viewing to two hours per day for children and adolescents. But for Dr DeBoer, this limitation is already too high.
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