Too much TV means too little exercise for kids. And we all know that means our youngsters are heavier than they were in years past. But a new study says the boob tube could be responsible for higher blood pressure for kids, too.
Researchers at the University of California and University of South Alabama found that the critical time is four hours of daily TV viewing. That is, obese children who watched four or more hours of TV every day were three times more likely to have high blood pressure than children who watched less than two hours a day.
We usually associate high blood pressure with stressed adults. So, it’s not a surprise that it’s often undiagnosed in children. But if it goes undetected, high blood pressure can damage organs, specifically the kidneys.
Doctors recommend two hours or less of daily viewing for kids, which is very doable for parents to enforce.