February 3, 2017.
According to a study conducted by a team of researchers from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), the time that a child, from the age of 2, spends in front of screens has an impact on the weight that he will do later.
Little boys should be kept away from screens
We must not neglect the physical activity of children from an early age. This is what Inserm researchers recommend, in a study published in the journal International Journal of Obesity. According to this work, the more time 2-year-old boys spend in front of the television or in front of a tablet, the higher their body fat percentage at 5 years old.
In girls, the finding is a little different: those who spend the least time outdoors playing at the age of 2 are the most overweight. To reach this conclusion, the researchers followed more than 800 children. They observed their eating habits, the time spent playing outside, that is, working out, and the time spent in front of the television.
Push little girls to go outside and play
In boys, ” time spent in front of screens is time they don’t spend on more energy-consuming activities “, explains Prof. Sandrine Lioret, who led the work. According to her, time spent in front of a screen is also associated with less healthy eating reflexes. In front of the television, children are in fact more in contact with ” processed foods such as snacking / fast food Even at the age of 2.
To fight against childhood obesity, Inserm therefore recommends that parents offer their children a balanced diet, reduce the time spent in front of screens as much as possible and encourage physical activities and outdoor games as much as possible. . Parents should pay special attention to little girls, who tend to spend less time outdoors than boys, when they need it just as much.
Marine Rondot
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