Is Computer Use Related to Obesity in Teens?

Obesity in American teens is a major problem, according to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity has tripled among adolescents in the last 30 years, and 18 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 were obese in 2010. The CDC notes that obesity is primarily related to too many calories and too little activity; the latter may be fueled by too much computer time.

  1. Sit Time

    • Both television and computer use -- what the Harvard School of Public Health has dubbed "screen time" or "media time" -- have contributed to excessive ̶0;sit time.̶1; Sit time, as the name implies, is time spent sitting rather than in activity, such as sports or regular exercise. The HSPH website reports that excessive sit time can contribute to obesity and that computer use, video games and Internet use are all associated with excess weight in teens and children. A May 2011 article in the "Daily Mail" notes that teen boys who played computer games for one hour ate 80 calories more afterward than boys who did not play the games.

    Food Advertising

    • Food advertising on television has already been found to contribute to weight gain in children and teens, according to the HSPH site. Computers and smartphone screens are increasingly being used for movies and television, while food and beverage companies are also beginning to use these forms of digital media for advertising purposes. Working on the computer may increase overeating due to increased exposure to food advertising. In addition, teens regularly exceed the recommended two hours a day or less of television use, which can contribute to increased weight, according to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, and more than half of the teens had also used a computer on the day prior to the study.

    Sleep Deprivation

    • Teens who go short on sleep are more likely to be obese, according to a June 2009 presentation at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies reported in Medical News Today. Teens who had more screen time -- television, Internet or computer use and video games -- were more likely to consume caffeine and got less sleep. Those teens who slept less also had a higher body mass index, even if they weren̵7;t actually obese.

    Prevention

    • If you̵7;re concerned about your child̵7;s weight, consult a physician. There are strategies parents can use to decrease both sit time and excessive computer use. The American Academy of Pediatrics website recommends screen time in any form be limited to two hours a day, with careful parental monitoring to assure the limits are followed. Remove televisions and computers from children̵7;s bedrooms and ban the use of smartphones during meals. Encourage your teens to exercise, and exercise with them to provide them with good role models.

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