It’s a known fact that watching extensive hours of television can contribute to weight gain.
However, new research suggests that watching just one hour of television is linked to weight gain in children, according to the publication Nature World News.
Kindergarten children who watched television for more than one hour a day were 52 percent more likely to be overweight than their classmates who watched less TV, stated researchers, according to the LA Times. The children that spent at least an hour each day in front of the television were reportedly 72 percent more likely to be obese.
“Given overwhelming evidence connecting the amount of time TV viewing and unhealthy weight, pediatricians and parents should attempt to restrict childhood TV viewing,” study author Mark D. DeBoer said in a press release.
The findings of the recent study are reportedly based on data from 12,650 children from around the country who started kindergarten in the fall of 2011 and were enrolled in a study run by the U.S. Department of Education. The students’ height and weight were measured and parents were reportedly asked how much time their kids spent in front of the television.
Although researchers took the number of hours kids spent using computers as well, it reportedly had no correlation with the children’s BMI.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reportedly recommends that children should have a limit of watching television that is set for two hours per day. However, this recent study shows that even that might be too long.
“Given the data presented in this study, the AAP may wish to lower its recommended TV viewing allowances,” said DeBoer in a statement.
