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Soda and TV Pack Pounds on Teens
Too much television and too many soft
drinks may be contributing to the epidemic of obese adolescents.
That claim comes courtesy of a
study in the September issue of the Archives of Pediatrics
and Adolescent Medicine.
The study included a few hundred
boys and girls in grades 6 and 7 from three schools in Santa Barbara,
Calif. The students filled out a questionnaire about lifestyle,
weight, eating and exercise habits. The height and weight of each
student was measured and their body mass index (BMI) calculated
by the researchers.
Overall, 35.5 percent of the students
had a BMI at or above the 85th percentile, and half of those students
(17.4 percent) had a BMI at or above the 95th percentile. The
rates were higher among Hispanic students and lower among Asian
students compared to non-Hispanic white students.
The study found a significant association
between BMI and hours of television watched and daily soft drink
consumption. Among students who watched less than two hours of
television per night, 26.2 percent had BMIs at or above the 85th
percentile, compared to 47.1 percent of students who watched three
or more hours of television per night.
Among students who drank less than
three soft drinks per day, 33.2 percent had BMIs at or above the
85th percentile, compared to 58.1 percent of students who drank
three or more soft drinks a day.
"Our analysis indicates that
increased levels of television viewing and soda intake are associated
with a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among sixth-
and seventh-grade school children, and overweight can lead to
increased risk of developing chronic health conditions, such as
type 2 diabetes," the authors write.
"Interventions that promote
healthy lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity and limiting
high-fat, high-calorie foods and beverages may be effective in
reducing both the prevalence of obesity and the emerging epidemic
of type 2 diabetes in children."
More information
Here's where you can get advice
for parents about childhood
obesity.
Reference
Source 101
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