QNA:
A recent study added new evidence that watching TV a lot in childhood can lead to a deterioration in health in middle age. The more hours watched in childhood, the more metabolic problems in middle age.
The research found that children who watch TV for long hours are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome in adulthood.
According to the “Science Daily” website, the study was conducted at the University of Otago, New Zealand, and linked children’s viewing of television to problems of high sugar and blood pressure and an increase in body fat.
The researchers used the data of 879 participants whose ages at the beginning of the study were between 5 and 15 years old, and their health data was documented until the age of 45 years.
The research found that those who watched more than two hours of television a week were more likely than others to develop metabolic syndrome, and that the more hours they watched, the greater the risk.
The study relied on observation, and did not provide explanations for this association, but suggested that long-hour viewing habits are associated with decreased physical activity, lack of sleep, and increased appetite for energy-dense foods.