Video Games, TV Double Childhood Obesity Risk

(WebMD) - Children Who Play Video Games, Watch TV More Likely to Be Obese

Every hour children play video games or watch television may double their risk of obesity, a new study suggests.

It's not the first study to link childhood obesity with time spent in front of the television or playing video games, but researchers say this study offers new insight into the scope of the problem.

"To our knowledge this study provides the strongest evidence for an independent association between time spent playing electronic games and childhood obesity," says Nicolas Stettler, MD, pediatric nutrition specialist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, in a news release. "Our findings suggest that the use of electronic games should be limited to prevent childhood obesity."

The results appear in the June issue of Obesity Research.

Read more...