Girls with TV in room more at risk of obesity

THE more television young girls watch, the more likely they are to be overweight, a study has found.

Analysis of more than 12,500 children found that girls who watched television for three hours or more each day during term time at the age of seven were almost 30 per cent more likely to be overweight by the age of 11.

Girls who watched between one and three hours were 18 per cent more likely to be overweight.

The study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, found no such variant for boys, possibly because they were more active.

Researchers, from UCL’S Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care in London, also found that girls who had a television in their room had a 30 per cent higher risk of being overweight, while a boy’s risk increased by 20 per cent.

The reasons those children face an increased likelihood of obesity include snacking on unhealthy foods while watching television, their exposure to food advertising and product placement and reduced or disrupted sleep.

Dr Anja Heilmann, from the institute, said: “Obesity prevention strategies should consider TVS in children’s bedrooms as a risk factor for obesity.”