According to an American study, having a TV in the bedroom would make children fatter. In addition, even if they watch it very little, their BMI is higher than that of children without TV.
Having a TV in the bedroom would make the kids bigger. This is the warning launched on Tuesday by American researchers in a study published in Jama Pediatrics. Another observation is that the weight of young people does not increase depending on the time spent watching TV.
Half a kilo more in children
To reach this conclusion, researchers at Dartmouth University (United States) analyzed old data collected during a telephone survey of nearly 3,055 children aged 10-14 and their parents. During this survey, the scientists noticed that 60% of the children questioned had a television in their room.
More importantly, this team also discovered that children with TVs weighed on average 0.4 kg more than others. In addition, after installing a television in their room, these young people gained, on average, half a point of body mass index in two years and 0.75 in four years compared to the others.
Time spent does not influence weight gain
However, according to this study, children’s weight gain is unrelated to the amount of time spent watching TV. These experts point out that the sleep of these young people is more and more disturbed. Particularly because of the multiplication of tablets and smartphones in their hands.
As such, a Finnish study published last year found that the presence of televisions and computers in a child’s room resulted in significantly shorter sleep times and later bedtime. “Less sleep is a known trigger for weight gain,” recalls the American team.
And they add that children who have a TV in their room are also more exposed to food advertising aimed at children. In addition, “it is also possible that a television in the bedroom leads to a more sedentary behavior and a higher calorie diet (snacking). “
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