Results of a new British study confirm what many parents have long suspected: kids who watch too much TV tend to get fat. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, singled out eight risk factors for childhood obesity. Extensive TV viewing ranked near the top.
"The odds ratio for obesity increased linearly as the number of television hours increase," the study noted. "For children reported to watch 4-8 hours per week at age three the adjusted odds ratio for obesity at age seven was 1.37. For those reported to watch more than eight hours per week the adjusted odds ratio was 1.57."
The British study was based on a number of factors; measurements of height, weight and body mass index (BMI); family background; and eating habits. It examined 8,234 seven-year old children, as well as 909 children who were taking part in another study.
Family characteristics also play a determining role in whether a child is obese, the study found. Obesity in one parent, the researchers said, was enough to increase the odds of obesity for a seven year old. When both parents were obese, the odds were even greater. The researchers said this could indicate either a genetic pre-disposition, family eating habits, or a combination of the two.
Sleep habits also tend to be associated with obesity. The study said three year olds who sleep less than three hours per night have greater odds of being overweight by age seven.
Researchers said eating a lot of junk food did not appear to be a determining factor in obesity in toddlers.
"We found no conclusive evidence of an association between dietary patterns at age three and a risk of obesity at age seven," it stated.
The study also found little evidence to support the widespread conclusion that breast-feeding helps protect against obesity.
