Greater screen time usage among preteens associated with higher BMI one year later
A new national study finds that children in the United States with greater screen time usage at ages 9-10 are more likely to gain weight one year later.
The study, publishing in
Pediatric Obesity on June 28, found that each additional hour spent on virtually all forms of screen time was associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) one year later. In particular, researchers found that each extra hour spent watching or streaming television, YouTube videos, video games, video chat, and texting led to a higher risk of weight gain one year later. At the start of the study, 33.7% of children were considered overweight or obese, and this increased to 35.5% one year later, a proportion that is expected to rise in the late teens and early adulthood.