Skip to main content

TV in bedroom

Children who have TVs in their bedrooms are more likely to be overweight than those who do not," BBC News reports. A UK study found a link between children having a TV in their room and an increased risk of obesity. Researchers followed children from seven to 11 years old to see whether the number of hours watching TV, playing on the computer or having a TV in the bedroom influenced the risk of having higher body fat in a couple of years. It found that, compared to children who didn't have a TV in their bedroom at age seven, children who did had a significantly higher body mass index (BMI) and body fat at the age of 11. The association was higher for girls than boys. Although this is an interesting study with potentially useful findings, it cannot prove there is a direct connection between using screens and body weight. But it would seem plausible that at least some children who spend a lot of time staring at a screen are not meeting the recommended levels for physical activity. Almost a fifth of UK children are obese. As the study itself puts it: "Ironically, while our screens have become flatter, our children have become fatter." Read more advice about helping your child to become more active and what to do if you are worried your child is overweight.

Popular posts from this blog

Being overweight

"Four million people died in 2015 as a result of being too tubby, struck by cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other killer conditions," reports The Sun. This is based on a global study that looked at how the proportion of people who are overweight and obese has changed over time. This was determined by recording body mass index (BMI), where a BMI of 25-29.9 means being overweight and 30 or above is being obese. Researchers then assessed the link between having an unhealthy BMI and health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. It found that, despite public health efforts, obesity is on the rise in almost every country and in both adults and children. Prevalence has doubled in most countries over the past 30 years. Researchers also estimated that having a high BMI accounted for 4 million deaths globally, 40% of which occurred in people who were overweight but not yet obese. This demonstrates that being overweight may almost be as risky to health a...
Read more

Exercise

Two sets of US guidelines have revised the public health advice on physical activity to clarify that gentle exercise is not enough to improve health, The Guardian reported. Current guidelines suggest that 30 minutes of exercise a day is enough to offer health benefits, however the newspaper said that adults “need to add jogging and twice-weekly weight-training sessions if they want to cut their risk of heart disease and obesity.” The newspaper reports that “the lightest of activities such as dusting and the stroll to the car are being counted as exercise” and quotes the researchers as saying that people have “not accepted, and others have misinterpreted the original recommendation.” The expert panel process and the recommendations offered have clarified some of the more unclear recommendations that were published in 1995. The group of experts met in 2000 to prepare this update, and this was supplemented by panel members’ own searches of the literature. It is not possible to validate ...
Read more

Back to basics

Simple painkillers are better than spinal manipulation or anti-inflammatory drugs to cure a bad back, reported The Daily Telegraph and other newspapers. “Visiting a chiropractor for a bad back may be a waste of time and money,” the newspaper said. The Daily Mail adds, “Patients get better just as quickly if they simply stay active and take a mild painkiller such as paracetamol.” The story is based on a well-conducted study in people who had persistent, acute, mild back pain. The researchers compared stronger painkillers and spinal manipulation with continued conservative treatment (paracetamol and advice about avoiding bed rest and remaining active and so on). The study suggests that neither spinal manipulation nor strong painkillers are more effective than conservative treatment including paracetamol for acute back pain.
Read more