By Jaime Herndon

With the rate of childhood obesity on the rise, many of us are careful not to let our nieces and nephews become couch potatoes, glued to screens all day. And a new study authored by Dr. Mark DeBoer, an associate professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of Virginia, shows that it doesn’t even take much TV time to adversely impact kids’ health.

The study, presented at April’s Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual conference, found that kindergartners and first-graders who watched even one hour of television a day were more likely to be obese or overweight than their peers who watched for less than an hour. This was true even after adjusting for other factors, like socioeconomic status and computer use. Computer use was not associated with higher weight or body mass index. Shockingly, the study found that kindergartners in the U.S. watch an average of 3.3 hours of television a day.

Currently, the AAP recommends no more than two hours of screen time per day for children and teens, but this might even be too much, given the results of this study. With spring here and summer around the corner, why not go for a walk, even around the block, with your niece or nephew next time you visit? Head to the park to soak up some sun (don’t forget the sunscreen!) and play around, or just enjoy the weather. It’ll boost everyone’s mood and help keep you healthy!

Photo: soupstock
Published: May 6, 2015