One in three kids overweight, study finds

OVERWEIGHT children are likely to have four or more televisions in their home, with some having up to six, a study has shown.

The study found that one in three children is overweight or obese, mainly because they spend four hours or more watching TV every day.

Half of the 10-year-old children who had TVs in their bedrooms tended to be heavier.

The study of fourth class pupils in 12 schools in Carlow and Kilkenny was conducted by the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) and the Centre for Health Behaviour Research at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

While boys tended to watch more TV than girls, the boys were fitter because of higher activity levels.

The study also found that over half of the children rarely engaged in vigorous break-time activity in school and almost three out of four travelled to school by car.

WIT Exercise Science lecturer Michael Harrison said TV was part of the problem.

"When children are watching TV they are more likely to be snacking on sugary foods than if they are involved in an activity. They are also being exposed subliminally to lots of advertisements for fast foods and sugary drinks."

The study also found that children who had TVs in their bedrooms spent more time in front of the screen.

"That fact tracked through to heavier body weight," Mr Harrison said.

Another finding was that children with a higher body weight and low fitness levels also had less self-confidence in their ability to be active.

"Why should a 10-year- old have low self-confidence in their ability to be active? Formal physical education begins at secondary school level but the survey indicates they need something in place that gets them physically active before that," he said.

Mr Harrison was also struck by the finding that physical activity and fitness levels among the girls were considerably lower.

"Before puberty there is no physiological reason why a 10-year-old girl should be less fit than a 10-year-old boy.

"At that age there should be no difference," he said.

Mr Harrison said parents should not rely on schools to deal with the problem.

Parents had to play their part by taking their children for walks or to the playground regularly.

"Parents should not be placing such a heavy reliance on the electronic babysitter in the corner," he insisted.

Spokesperson for the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, Margot Brennan, said it was almost the norm for families to have an overweight child.

"We're ignoring the problem instead of acting on it," she said.

Ireland was an affluent country and it was not unusual for some homes to have up to six TVs.

"Parents need to strike a balance if their children are inclined to be overweight from not getting enough exercise they should switch the TV off," she insisted.