Track my order
Advice
Contact us
TV in kids' bedrooms linked with obesity, poor sleep
Author: Jonathan Warren
It may come as no surprise, but having a TV in kids' bedrooms has been linked with obesity, poor sleep and unhealthy lifestyles by a scientific report. The study, published in the journal Pediatric Obesity, revealed that 57 per cent of children with a TV, DVD player or games console in their rooms use the devices when they are supposed to be sleeping. Moreover, those with any one of these electronic devices in their rooms were 1.47 times more likely to be overweight, and this jumped 2.57 times for those with three or more.
According to the study, which was carried out at the University of Alberta, children who get just one extra hour of sleep per night were 28 per cent less likely to be overweight. Paul Veugelers, professor in the School of Public Health, said this proves that removing technology from the bedroom is one way to have healthier kids.
Christina Fung, co-author of the study, said two-thirds of children today are not getting as much sleep as those in earlier generations did. "It's important to teach these children at an earlier age and teach them healthy habits when they are younger," she added.
