Too much TV breeds a fat child
SCIENTISTS have drawn up a check-list of early warning signs of
child obesity, among them too much television and not enough
sleep.
More than eight hours of TV a week or less than 10 hours' sleep
a night for a three-year-old increase the risk of piling on the
weight, they say.
Dr John Reilly of the University of Glasgow said there are
certain factors, very early on, which can set you on a
particular path in life to becoming obese.
The others are: high birth weight; early size; rapid weight
gain; quick growth in years one and two; early body fat; and
having obese parents.
"We shouldn't be complacent about the lifestyles of our
children," Reilly said.
"What our study is showing is that although there are early
growth risk factors, there are also a number of risk factors
that relate to lifestyle, of three-year-olds and probably
earlier, that seem to make a difference."
He and his colleagues, whose findings were reported online by
the British Medical Journal, studied more than 9,000 children
aged seven whose growth had been followed since birth.