Study: Obesity rates in children rise when screen-time exceeds 2 hours

Описание: CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A new report has an important reminder for parents as kids head back to school.

In addition to eating habits, this report from a review of studies in the journal Circulation found excess screen-time may increase the risk for obesity, especially in teens and young adults.

Researchers found that adolescents with more than two hours of recreational screen-time increase their likelihood of being overweight or obese nearly two-fold.

Between 2003 and 2007, the rate of children who exceeded the two hours of daily screen-time went up from about 16 percent to more than 21 percent. Total media use overall is what researchers say is driving this trend -- mainly computer use.

While kids are watching less television, they are now watching it on streaming sites and spending time on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and that means they are likely still sitting to do that.

The American Heart Association says kids start this young too. One study found children not yet 2 years old get between half-an-hour to three hours of screen-time a day. Those habits may set them up for an inactive lifestyle as they get older, upping the odds of obesity.