Screen Time Linked to Long-Term Metabolic Issues, New Study Shows

We've always known that prolonged screen time isn't ideal and that it negatively affects our kids. Educators and teachers have repeatedly reported that children exposed to screens have difficulty concentrating in class. But now, it turns out that childhood screen viewing can also impact metabolic development later in life.

In a study recently published in the renowned journal Pediatrics, researchers sought to examine the hypothesis that screen time during childhood is linked to metabolic syndrome by age 45. For the study, researchers used parent-reported data regarding participants born in 1972-1973, detailing how long they watched television at ages 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15, and again at age 32. The researchers conclusively demonstrated a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome at age 45, found in 870 out of 997 cases, indicated by elevated hemoglobin levels, increased waist circumference, high blood pressure, and more.

According to the researchers, the study results are unequivocal for both men and women. Additionally, a direct connection was found between childhood TV watching and poor cardiovascular fitness and elevated BMI at 45. "There's no doubt," the researchers concluded, "that reducing screen time in childhood and early adolescence will lessen future health impacts."