The location of a TV in the home may make it harder to watch a child’s weight.
Children who have a television set in their bedroom are more likely to be overweight than those who did not, according to a new study.
The research, conducted by University College London scientists, tracked television watching behavior and the weight of more than 12,000 children in the United Kingdom. Half the children younger than seven had TVs in their bedroom.
Findings published in the International Journal of Obesity show the girls who had TVs in their bedroom at seven years old were 30 percent more likely to become overweight as they got older. For boys, the risk was 20 percent.
Researchers suspect the screens could lead kids to have worse sleep and unhealthy eating habits, but they couldn’t prove a direct, causal link. BBC reports children that spend many hours in front a screen are more likely to experience a range of deleterious effects than those who notch less screen time.
Scientists are planning to conduct a similar study to explore the connection with laptops and smartphones.
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