Children who regularly exercise and limit their TV time are much less likely to be overweight than their peers, according to a new study.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children devote no more than two hours each day to TV and video games. Experts also encourage children to exercise regularly. One common recommendation is for children and teenagers to get at least one hour of moderate exercise on most or all days of the week.
For the new study, researchers looked at whether there were weight differences between children who met or did not meet recommendations for "screen time" and exercise. They found that, in a group of more than 700 children, those who did not meet either recommendation were three to four times more likely to be overweight.