Kids’ Sleep, Obesity and Electronic Devices

Making News:

The rates of overweight and obesity among kids continue to climb. Food choices and inactivity are considered major culprits. Are electronic devices also to blame?

Scientists from the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta have linked use of electronic devices, poor sleep patterns and obesity among Canadian 5th graders. The researchers surveyed sleep habits, food intake, physical activity levels, height and weight measurements, and nighttime use of electronic devices among 3,398 children.

“Sixty-four percent of parents reported that their child had access to one or more electronic entertainment and communication devices (EECDs) in their bedroom,” the authors reported. “Access to and night-time use of EECDs were associated with shortened sleep duration, excess body weight, poorer diet quality, and lower physical activity levels in a statistically significant manner. Limiting the availability of EECDs in children’s bedrooms and discouraging their night-time use may be considered as a strategy to promote sleep and reduce childhood obesity.”

The study was published in Pediatric Obesity (2012; doi: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00085.x).

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Ryan Halvorson

IDEA Author/Presenter

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Ryan Halvorson is the associate editor for IDEA Health & Fitness Association; a Performance Speciali... moreRyan Halvorson is the associate editor for IDEA Health & Fitness Association; a Performance Specialist at Bird Rock Fit in La Jolla, CA; a Master Instructor for Metabolic Effect and the creator of www.Fat2Fitin30.com, a lifestyle organization dedicated to finding ways to achieve improved fitness, nutrition and healthy living habits in 30 minutes or less. He is an internationally recognized speaker and has authored hundreds of articles on the subjects of health and fitness. less

IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 10, Number 2

February 2013

© 2013 by IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

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