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Television Watching,
Energy Intake and Obesity in US Children
Results From the Third
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Carlos J. Crespo, Dr.PH.,
MS; Ellen Smit, Ph.D., RD; Richard P. Troiano, Ph.D., RD; Susan J. Bartlett,
Ph.D.; Caroline A. Macera, Ph.D.; Ross E. Andersen, Ph.D.
Objectives:
To examine the relationship between
television watching, energy intake, physical activity, and obesity status
in US boys and girls, aged 8 to 16 years.
Methods:
We used a nationally representative
cross-sectional survey with an in-person interview and a medical examination,
which included measurements of height and weight, daily hours of television
watching, weekly participation in physical activity, and a dietary interview.
Between 1988 and 1994, the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey collected data on 4,069 children. Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic
blacks were oversampled to produce reliable estimates for these groups.
Results:
The prevalence of obesity is
lowest among children watching 1 or fewer hours of television a day, and
highest among those watching 4 or more hours of television a day. Girls
engaged in less physical activity and consumed fewer joules (a unit of
energy) per day than boys. A higher percentage of non-Hispanic white boys
reported participating in physical activity 5 or more times per week than
any other race/ethnic and sex group. Television watching was positively
associated with obesity among girls, even after controlling for age, race/ethnicity,
family income, weekly physical activity, and energy intake.
Conclusions:
As the prevalence of overweight
increases, the need to reduce sedentary behaviors and to promote a more
active lifestyle becomes essential.
Clinicians and public health
interventionists should encourage active lifestyles to balance the energy
intake of children.
Arch Pediatr
Adolesc Med. 2001; 155:360-365
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