Monday, May 18, 2015

Child Obesity and TV

The second study I found fascinating involved an analysis of the relationship between watching TV and weight status in kindergarten and first-grade children. In the past, studies have shown that watching a lot of TV increases a child’s risk for being overweight. The studies had not evaluated a specific link between the amount of time spent watching TV and obesity among kindergarten children. You probably already know that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children watch less than 2 hours of TV on a daily basis. However, guidelines most conducive to a healthy weight status in children were not identified. Therefore, researchers decided to do a study that might help to set a benchmark—if a clear link was identified. (Oops. Time to get up for 2 minutes of fast walking on my treadmill!) More tomorrow.

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