Less TV, more sleep and family meals – these are three factors that, according to American scientists, significantly prevent a child from becoming overweight. Pediatrics magazine informs about their research.
Scientists from Ohio State University have come to these conclusions by analyzing data on over 8,5 thousand. American four-year-olds. They observed 40 percent. lower risk of obesity among children who spent no more than two hours a day in front of the TV screen, slept at least 10 hours a day, and ate dinner at the table with their family.
Together, these three practices reduced the risk of obesity even in particularly vulnerable children, says study author Sarah Anderson.
The researcher compared the percentage of obese children in families that met all of the three above-mentioned conditions and in families that did not meet any of them. It turned out that in the first case, 14,3 percent had problems with weight. children, while in the second – 24,5 percent.
It is possible that this research will allow parents to go beyond just discussing the child’s weight and physical activity and take a closer look at other factors that affect the health and behavior of a toddler, says Anderson.