Children with bedroom TVs at significantly higher risk of being overweight

A UCL-led study of over 12,000 young children in the UK has revealed that 11-year-olds who had TVs in their bedroomâ'at ageâ'7 had a significantly higher body mass (BMI) and fat mass (FMI) and were more likely to be overweight compared to children who did not have a bedroom TV. Girls who had a TV in their bedroom at age 7 were at an approximately 30% higher risk of being overweight at age 11 compared to children who did not have a TV in their bedroom, and for boys the risk was increased by about 20%. The study, published today in theâ'International Journal of Obesity, took a range of other obesity-linked factors into consideration, such as household income, mothersâ'' education, breastfeeding duration, physical activity and irregular bedtimes. Mothersâ?- BMI was also taken into account to represent the overall food environment in the household as well as potential genetic influences. In addition, childrenâ??s BMI at age 3 was included to minimise the possibility of reverse causation - the possibility that being overweight in the first place leads to spending more time in front of a screen. Dr Anja Heilmann (UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care) said, â?'Childhood obesity in the UK is a major public health problem. In England, about one third of all 11 year oldsâ'are overweight and one in five are obese.â'â'Our study showsâ'that there is a clear linkâ'between having a TV in the bedroom as a youngâ'child and being overweight a few yearsâ'later.