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6 months ago
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ARTICLE AD BOX
A recent study found that watching TV while eating puts children at risk of obesity.
The research team, from the Portuguese University of Minho, said that television and tablets distract children from feeling full, which leads them to eat more food.
The study, which included approximately 735 children (aged between 6 and 10 years), showed that spending time in front of smartphone screens while eating increases the chances of gaining weight by 15%.
Study author Dr. Ana Duarte said: “When children eat while watching a program on TV or mobile phone, they do not realize when they should stop eating, and they continue to eat simply because the TV or phone distracts them.”
She continued: "This is bad for society and dangerous for children, because it leads to weight gain or obesity."
The researchers said, at the European Obesity Conference in Venice, that the results may not reflect the actual reality, because some parents may not have admitted to allowing their children to use the phone or watch TV during daily meals.
Tam Fry, president of the Child Development Foundation, said: “Family meals are a forgotten memory. It is clear that allowing children to eat unconsciously while on the phone or in front of the TV is harmful to their health.”
It is noteworthy that spending a lot of time watching TV or using a smartphone is also linked to other health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and lack of sleep.
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