Research published in the latest issue of Taiwan Public Health magazine showed that preschool-aged children who watch two or more hours of television per day are twice as likely be obese than those who watch less than one hour per day.
Liao Chien-chang (廖建彰), an associate professor in the Department of Anesthetics at Taipei Medical University, said the research looked at children between the ages of two and six from 56 kindergartens across the nation.
Participants responded to questionnaires that asked them about the children’s home environments and daily habits, Liao said.
Of the 3,492 children who were involved in the research, 12.6 percent are obese, he said, adding that the average amount of time per day spent watching TV among them was 92.7 minutes.
Liao said that a strong correlation was found between the occurrence of obesity and excessive television viewing, citing a 10 percent increase in obesity-related risks for every 30 minutes more a child was reported to spend watching TV each day.
He said the correlation exists because children remain inactive while watching TV and tend to consume snacks while doing so.
The calories are stored instead of being burned off, he said.
Liao said that families of obese children tend to make the TV the focal point of evening activities and place little to no emphasis on outdoor activities.
Liao said watching TV just prior to bed can also affect sleep patterns, which can also impair physical development.
Children can have nightmares due to the content of some TV programs, Liao said, adding that sleep quality is affected when this happens.
Preschool children are also increasingly exposed to other forms of technology, such as computers, tablets and cellphones, Liao said, adding that the effects of this on development are still being studied.
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