Source:  HealthDay -Robert Preidt URL: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_56872.html

Too Much TV Can Raise Kids' Blood Pressure

Obese kids who develop hypertension may be watching far too muchtelevision, a new study suggests.

The finding "illustrates the need for considerable physician andfamily involvement to decrease TV time among obese children," study authorDr. Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, associate professor of pediatrics at University ofCalifornia, San Diego, said in a prepared statement.

His team's study included 546 participants, ages 4 to 17, who wereevaluated for obesity at clinics in California and Ohio from 2003 to 2005.

Information was collected on the amount of time the children spentwatching TV, along with their body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure.

The researchers found that both the severity of obesity and the amountof time spent watching TV each day were significant independent predictors ofhypertension.

Children who spent two to four hours a day watching TV were 2.5 timesmore likely to have hypertension than children who watched two or less hours ofTV a day. Children who watched four or more hours of TV a day were 3.3 timesmore likely to have hypertension than those who watched less than two hours aday.

The findings are published in the December issue of the AmericanJournal of Preventive Medicine.

"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children watchless than two hours of TV per day but reports that only half (51 percent) ofpediatricians make this recommendation to patients. TV viewing is an attractivetarget for intervention, particularly among obese children with hypertension.Several studies have demonstrated that changing TV time alone can lead toweight loss, without any changes in physical activity," said Schwimmer,director of weight and wellness at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.