Scientists and the CDC have long been writing about how excessive screen time and lack of sleep can contribute to obesity. A new statement from the CDC suggests that cutting screen time is the most important factor in curbing teen obesity. A study of 12- to 15-year-olds found that of obese teens, 20% kept their screen time to under two hours a day, compared to 31% of their peers with a healthy body weight. The CDC suggests that TV and computer use has the double-whammy of taking away from teen sleep time and exercise time, which means it is crucial for parents to start limiting their kids' screen time. The study did not measure smart phone use.
We already knew that watching TV excessively is bad for you. We wrote earlier this summer about a Spanish study suggesting that extra TV watching correlates with dying earlier. These new findings by the CDC are troubling however. Dr. Marjorie Hogan, a pediatrician who helped write the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines on screen time for kids said, "The findings are concerning, but not surprising."
The current CDC guidelines after for teens and kids to keep their screen time to under two hours a day. But two national surveys published by the CDC recently found that nearly 75% of kids in the 12 to 15 age range are doing more than that.
Teenagers may snarl at parents who try to take away their precious Internet time. So what should a concerned parent do? Hogan, who works at the AAP, recommends that parents try to keep a "healthy media diet," not banning as much as keeping moderation.
Some tips for parents: ban TV and computers from your kids' bedrooms. Studies show that screen use at night can interfere with sleep, and the temptation for kids to be available at all hours or browse the web is too strong to resist. Since sleep loss is also tied to obesity, and since it's even more important for kids and teenagers to get a good night's sleep because they're still developing, using computers and watching TV late at night can be even worse for kids.
Angela Diaz, director of the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center in New York City said parents should try to start training their kids to limit their media use early. "It's important to try to establish children's habits early in life," Diaz said. "Try to create an environment where kids have choices other than TV and computers."
Diaz also said that parents should create an environment where your children are less isolated and have more face-to-face interaction with people. Sign them up for after-school activities or volunteer opportunities, where they'll have plenty of chances to meet kids their own age and learn that you can have fun without using computers.
