- Home
- Medical news & Guidelines
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology and CTVS
- Critical Care
- Dentistry
- Dermatology
- Diabetes and Endocrinology
- ENT
- Gastroenterology
- Medicine
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Obstretics-Gynaecology
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics-Neonatology
- Psychiatry
- Pulmonology
- Radiology
- Surgery
- Urology
- Laboratory Medicine
- Diet
- Nursing
- Paramedical
- Physiotherapy
- Health news
- Fact Check
- Bone Health Fact Check
- Brain Health Fact Check
- Cancer Related Fact Check
- Child Care Fact Check
- Dental and oral health fact check
- Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
- Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
- Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
- Fitness fact check
- Gut health fact check
- Heart health fact check
- Kidney health fact check
- Medical education fact check
- Men's health fact check
- Respiratory fact check
- Skin and hair care fact check
- Vaccine and Immunization fact check
- Women's health fact check
- AYUSH
- State News
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Andhra Pradesh
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bihar
- Chandigarh
- Chattisgarh
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli
- Daman and Diu
- Delhi
- Goa
- Gujarat
- Haryana
- Himachal Pradesh
- Jammu & Kashmir
- Jharkhand
- Karnataka
- Kerala
- Ladakh
- Lakshadweep
- Madhya Pradesh
- Maharashtra
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Mizoram
- Nagaland
- Odisha
- Puducherry
- Punjab
- Rajasthan
- Sikkim
- Tamil Nadu
- Telangana
- Tripura
- Uttar Pradesh
- Uttrakhand
- West Bengal
- Medical Education
- Industry
Higher step count may not offset obesity associated with increased screen time in kids: JAMA
The American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidance for evaluating and treating obesity last month, recommending proactive treatment for children and teens. But despite the fact that behavioral recommendations for obesity often recommend more physical activity and less screen time, there’s been little research on how combinations of physical activity and screen time can impact children’s weight.
A new national study published in JAMA Network Open has now found that high physical activity does not offset obesity risk among preteens who reported eight or more hours of screen time per day.
“Spending most of one’s free time in front of screens can replace time for other important activities including physical activity, socialization, and sleep,” says lead author Jason Nagata, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco.
The study also found that low levels of screen time did not offset obesity risk among teens who reported low levels of physical activity.
Co- author Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work recommends that parents encourage their children to move more through playful activities, sports, and time spent outdoors. “Participating in physical activities as a family are important ways to connect and strengthen relationships,” Ganson says.
The researchers asked 5,797 preteens 10-14 years old how much time they spent on screens and measured their daily steps using a Fitbit. At the beginning of the pandemic, preteens reported an average of eight hours of recreational screen time daily.
In another recent study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Nagata found that screen time in adolescence was associated with obesity, diabetes, and higher waist circumference 24 years later. That study followed a nationally representative sample of 7,105 adolescents for 24 years.
"Parents should have regular conversations with their children about screen use and discourage excessive time spent on screens,” said Nagata. “They could encourage screen-free time before bedtime or during family meals. Parents can also act as role models for their children with their own screen time and physical activity.”
Reference:
Nagata, J.M., Lee, C.M., Lin, F. et al. Screen Time from Adolescence to Adulthood and Cardiometabolic Disease: a Prospective Cohort Study. J GEN INTERN MED (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-022-07984-6
Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751