A new study adds to the evidence that sedentary behaviors are linked to childhood obesity and sheds light on the world-wide dimension of the problem. In a study published in the June issue of the journal Obesity Research, researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University Hospital Zurich present a strong association between playing electronic video games and childhood obesity in school-aged Swiss children. The researchers also found that obesity was associated with television watching, paternal smoking and mother's working outside the home.
"The goal of this study was to identify environmental and behavioral factors, in particular type and duration of sedentary activities, associated with obesity in children living in Switzerland," said Nicolas Stettler, M.D., M.S.C.E., a pediatric nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and primary investigator of this study. "To our knowledge this study provides the strongest evidence for an independent association between time spent playing electronic games and childhood obesity. Our findings suggest that the use of electronic games should be limited to prevent childhood obesity."
The research team measured 872 children in first, second, and third grades enrolled in 10 schools in northeastern Switzerland. A physician and medical assistant administered questionnaires to the children. Questions assessed age, sex, nationality, number of siblings, smoking status of parents, television programs regularly watched, amount of time playing electronic games, breakfast consumption, watching television during meals and snacking while watching television. Teachers estimated the amount of physical activity. The researchers defined obesity using both skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI) to provide a more direct assessment of overweight and overfat status.
News source: PRNewswire
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