You may want to turn off that TV. It turns out that watching television may be contributing to the tide of obesity among children in the United States. In fact, researchers found that students who watch at least two hours of television per day are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease than students who spend an equal amount of time surfing the Internet or playing video games.
"While too much of both types of screen time encourages sedentary behavior, our study suggests high TV time in particular is associated with poorer food choices and increased cardiovascular risk," said Elizabeth Jackson, one of the researchers, in a news release.
While TV screens are the worst culprits for encouraging poor snacking behaviors, that doesn't meant that other screens aren't also to blame. Researchers found that high TV viewers and computer and video game users both reported eating about 3.5 snacks per day, according to the Business Standard. That's about one full snack more than kids who had minimal exposure to these screens.
In fact, the researchers found that middle schoolers who watched between two and six hours of TV per day were more likely to have a higher body mass index, elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure and slower recovery heart rate.
"Snacks are important, and choosing a piece of fruit rather than a bag of chips can make a really big difference for one's health," said Jackson, according to RedOrbit. "Parents need to monitor their kids' activities. Our results offer even more reason to limit the amount of TV time kids have and are right in line with current recommendations."
By cutting down time in front of the television and encouraging more healthy habits, you can help your children also cut down on unhealthy eating. This is especially important when it comes to curbing the tide of obesity among children in the United States, a problem which continues to grow.
