Health
Kids Who Spend More Time Using Smart Devices Are At Greater Risk Of Getting A Heart Disease – Study
Screen time is linked to kids being overweight
According to the American Heart Association, kids age 8 to 18 who spend more time using smartphones, tablets and other devices are at greater risk of getting a heart disease in future as compared to those who use the smart devices for not more than one to two hours a day.
The American Heart Association has published a scientific statement in the medical journal Circulation urging parents to limit how much time their kids spend in front of screens. As per the statement, more and more screen time from smartphones, tablets and other devices can result in kids growing up as overweight or obese due to their sedentary lifestyle. Notably, sedentary behavior is linked to obesity risk, and obesity is linked to heart disease.
While television viewing among children and teens has declined to a great extent, the use of smartphones and tablets has increased. The AHA recommends parents to limit their children’s screen time between one to two hours each day.
“Screen time is associated with being overweight and obese which is associated with high cholesterol and high blood pressure,” said the American Heart Association spokesman, Dr. Stephen Daniels, who is also a pediatric cardiologist. “Once those risk factors, such as obesity, are in play in childhood, they tend to continue into adulthood.”
While the mechanisms linking screen time to obesity are not entirely clear, it is believed that screens influence children’s eating behaviors as they don’t notice when they are full when eating in front of a screen. This ultimately leads to over-eating and obesity.
Furthermore, various studies have also advised parents to keep screens out of kids’ bedrooms as it is feared that too much screen time can affect their sleep.
A study by researchers at San Diego State and Florida State universities conducted last year also found that nearly half of teens who spent five or more hours in front of screens every day experienced thoughts of suicide or prolonged periods of sadness or hopelessness.
