Electronic games associated with childhood obesity

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Monday, July 05, 2004 3:20 pm Email this article
Playing electronic games, watching television, having a mother who works or a parent who smokes are all associated with an increased risk of a child being obese according to a new study from Switzerland. Electronic Games

A child was 2 times as likely to be obese for every hour they played electronic games.

Television

There were 2.8 times as likely to be obese for every hour of television they watched.

Working Mother

There were 1.9 times as likely to be obese if their mother worked.

Smoking Parent

There were 1.8 times as likely to be obese if one of their parents smoked.

Exercise

There were 20 percent less likely (0.8 times as likely) to be obese for every hour they participated in physical activity.

The study involved 872 children in grades 1-3 from four communities in the Greater Zurich Area in Switzerland.

REFERENCE

Stettler N, Signer T, Suter P. Electronic games and environmental factors associated with childhood obesity in switzerland. Obes Res. 2004 Jun, 12(6):896-903.

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Childhood Obesity