Parents urged to limit young children’s daily screen time to 90 minutes

CHILDREN’S time spent staring at the television, smartphones and tablets should be limited to 90 minutes a day to prevent them becoming obese, researchers believe.

A group of European child-health experts have found a strong link between obesity and prolonged exposure to media and technology during youngsters’ formative years.

In a wide-ranging study, they found that 97 per cent of European households have at least one television, 72 per cent possess a computer, and 91 per cent have access to mobile phones.

As a result, today’s toddlers spend an hour a day watching television, rising “dramatically” to 7.25 hours by the time they reach nine, as they become more engrossed in “other types of media”.

According to the study, published in the journal Acta Paediatrica, these trends have contributed to childhood obesity levels surging at an “alarming rate” over the past 25 years.

It is now thought that 19 per cent of European children and adolescents are overweight. To address the problem, the researchers claim that parents need to develop a greater understanding of the impact that social media and dietary habits have on their children’s long-term health.

Dr Adamos Hadjipanayis, leader of the study and a member of the European Academy of Paediatrics, said: “Parents should limit TV viewing and the use of computers and similar devices to no more than 1.5 hours a day and [then] only if the child is older than four years.”

The study also found that late-night viewing disturbs young people’s sleeping patterns, which in turn can contribute to obesity. Parents are also encouraged to turn off the TV during ad breaks and are asked not give children younger than 12 a smartphone.