Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
07:07
Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
Reducing children's television viewing to prevent obesity: a randomized controlled trial
1Department of Pediatrics, Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, Calif 94304, USA. tom.robinson@stanford.edu
JAMA
|November 5, 1999
Summary
Reducing screen time in children can help prevent obesity. A school-based program significantly decreased body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in students by limiting television, videotape, and video game use.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Obesity Prevention
Background:
- Observational studies suggest a link between screen time and childhood adiposity.
- Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of reducing screen time on adiposity, physical activity, and dietary habits in children.
- To assess the effectiveness of a school-based curriculum designed to decrease television, videotape, and video game consumption.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled school-based trial involving 192 third- and fourth-grade students.
- Intervention group received an 18-lesson, 6-month classroom curriculum focused on reducing media use.
- Primary outcome was body mass index (BMI); secondary outcomes included skinfold thickness, waist circumference, and cardiorespiratory fitness.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed statistically significant reductions in BMI, triceps skinfold thickness, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio compared to controls.
- Children in the intervention group reported decreased television viewing and fewer meals consumed in front of the television.
- No significant differences were observed in high-fat food intake, physical activity levels, or cardiorespiratory fitness between groups.
Conclusions:
- Reducing television, videotape, and video game use is a potentially effective, population-based strategy for preventing childhood obesity.
- School-based interventions targeting media consumption can contribute to healthier weight management in children.
Related Concept Videos
02:01Group Design
The most basic experimental design involves two groups: the experimental group and the control group. The two groups are designed to be the same except for one difference— experimental manipulation. The experimental group gets the experimental manipulation—that is, the treatment or variable being tested—and the control group does not. Since experimental manipulation is the only difference between the experimental and control groups, we can be sure that any differences between the two are due to...
01:52Regression Toward the Mean
Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
01:24Obesity
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes...