Children on screens at meal times at risk of weight gain

CHILDREN allowed screen time during meals are far more likely to pile on the pounds, research has found.

Experts said allowing children to scroll on phones or eat in front of the television was “dangerous” and fuelling a growing obesity epidemic.

Researchers found children who were allowed to access devices while eating were 15 per cent more likely to carry excess pounds than those who weren’t.

The “distraction” of screens meant children were more likely to keep eating without noticing they were full, they said, warning the decline of the family meal was a “really big problem”.

The study by the University of Minho, Portugal examined the impact of screentime during breakfast, lunch or dinner on children’s weight.

Their study involved 735 children, aged six to ten, at primary schools in more deprived neighbourhoods.

Researchers interviewed each child about the foods they had eaten in the last 24 hours and gave parents a questionnaire, which included a question on if they were allowed on screens at mealtimes. Measurements were then taken to calculate if a child was obese.

Once factors such as their age and socioeconomic status were accounted for, scientists found those who used screens during breakfast, lunch or dinner were 15 per cent more likely to be overweight. Dr Ana Duarte said: “When children are eating and are watching something on a TV or a mobile phone, they don’t understand when they need to stop eating or when they are full.

“They continue to eat and eat just because they are distracted by the screens. This is bad for society and dangerous for children because it is leading to them being overweight or obese.”

Presenting their findings at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, they said the data was likely to be an underestimate, with many parents potentially not admitting to letting their children use screens.

‘They don’t understand when they need to stop. They eat and eat because they are distracted’