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Childhood obesity is a national epidemic of such tragic proportions and of such importance that one of my next books will be on this topic. Researchers at the top pediatric hospital in the US have concluded that video games are a major contributing factor for this epidemic.
Obesity was independently associated with the time spent playing electronic games and the time spent watching television and was inversely associated with physical activity. The researchers also found that obesity was associated with
- Television watching,
- Parent's smoking and
- Mother's working outside the home
Fortunately this is something that is totally in parent's control as they can easily limit use of these gadgets and have use rules related to physical activity. Folks this is no mystery, if you aren't outside playing and running around like kids are designed to do and you drink soda and juice then obesity is the logical consequence.
Obesity Research June 2004 12:896-903