LONDON (Reuters) - Restricting the amount of television children are allowed to watch each day could help reduce obesity among youngsters, health experts said on Monday.

Television influences not only what children eat but how much and where they eat. It is also associated with a decrease in physical activity, an underlying cause of the worldwide obesity epidemic.

William Dietz, director of the division of nutrition and physical activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told an obesity conference in London that children need alternatives to watching television to raise their levels of physical activity and to reduce how much they eat.

``There is now an accumulating body of evidence that suggests that the impact of reduced television viewing on food intake may be greater than the impact on activity,'' he said.

Dietz cited a California study that found as much as 25% of children's food intake occurs while they are watching television, so limiting television time alone may cut their chances to overeat.

``We showed a linear relationship of television viewing to the prevalence of obesity,'' he added.

In the United States the number of hours children watch television jumped from about two hours per day in 1969 to more than five in 1990 for many youngsters. Meanwhile, obesity among adolescents had trebled and doubled in younger children between 1980 and 1994.

Obesity is also increasing more rapidly among African-American and Mexican-American women and children than Caucasians, according to Dietz.

Philip James, the chairman of the International Obesity Task Force, which funds and organises global initiatives to combat obesity, told the two-day meeting sponsored by Britain's National Audit that it is also a problem in the developing world.

In particular, ``the Pacific Islands have an appalling problem,'' he said. A report prepared for a meeting of Commonwealth health ministers showed Pacific Islanders have the highest rates of adult obesity in the world, with double the number of overweight people compared to developed countries.

Obesity is measured using body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared. A BMI of more than 30 is considered obese. More that 35 is severely obese and over 40 very severe.

In the United States about 61% of Americans are obese or overweight, according to the surgeon general's report. In European countries the numbers are lower, between 10% and 20% of men and 10% and 25% of women, but rising.

Obesity is linked with a number of health complications including diabetes, osteoarthritis, heart disease, strokes and certain cancers. Psychological problems include low self-esteem and depression.

``Unless we do something this epidemic will escalate with huge consequences for health,'' James warned.

Additional Resources

Child Obesity Prevention Program
 
"Public Health Crisis, Prevention as a Cure"

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