All Types of Screen Time Put Adolescents at Risk for Unhealthy Weight Gain

Excessive time spent watching television has been linked to poor health outcomes, including childhood obesity and unhealthy weight gain. One hypothesis is that watching TV contributes to unhealthy weight gain because children are exposed to marketing for unhealthy foods and beverages, leading to overconsumption. If true, it would follow that watching electronic games and DVDs, which are commercial-free, would not hold the same risks for weight gain.

To examine different types of screen time, investigators analyzed self-reported data from 6002 girls and 4917 boys (age range, 9–19 years; mean age 14 years) who returned questionnaires as part of the Growing Up Today Study II conducted in 2004, 2006, and 2008. Two-year change in adiposity (adjus…