Teens with TVs in Bedrooms Develop Poor Health Habits
By Jane St. Clair
If your teen has a television in his bedroom, he is more likely to:
- exercise less
- eat fewer fruits and vegetables
- have fewer dinners with family members
- drink more soda
- eat more fast food
- watch more television
- and study less often than other teens.
New research from the University of Minnesota involving more than 780 teens linked TVs in bedrooms to the above negative health consequences.
More than two-thirds of American teens have TVs in their bedrooms, despite warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Our findings suggest the importance of not having a television in a child's bedroom," said Dr. Dianne Neumark-Sztainer. "When families upgrade their living room television, they may want to resist the temptation to put the older television in their child's room."
This study appears in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics.
Comments
I got my daughter a TV for her room, but then took it away when she didn't come out. We're in the process of negotiating a deal for TV use over the summer. Any ideas?
I couldn't agree more. We just allowed our son to place a tv in his bedroom for the purpose of playing video games. Now we rarely see him. Sometimes this is a good thing however, I'm concerned because he has become less social and far less active.
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