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Obesity and television watching in preschoolers in Greece: the GENESIS study

Yannis Manios1, Georgia Kourlaba, Katerina Kondaki

  • 1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, Athens, Greece. manios@hua.gr

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|March 14, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Excessive television (TV) watching in preschoolers is linked to obesity, but this association disappears when accounting for total energy intake, not physical activity. Increased calorie consumption during TV time likely drives this link.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Obesity Epidemiology
  • Child Health Research

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern.
  • Sedentary behaviors, like television (TV) watching, are suspected contributors.
  • The independent role of TV viewing time versus energy intake and physical activity in childhood obesity requires clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of preschoolers' TV watching time on obesity prevalence.
  • To determine if this association persists after controlling for total energy intake and physical activity.
  • To investigate the specific mechanisms linking TV viewing to obesity in young children.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study of 2,374 Greek children aged 1-5 years (GENESIS study).
  • Data collected on children's TV watching hours (weekday and weekend).
  • Obesity status assessed, and analyses adjusted for socio-demographic factors, physical activity, and total energy intake.

Main Results:

  • Obesity prevalence was higher in children watching TV ≥2 hours/day (21.7%) compared to <2 hours/day (16.1%).
  • TV viewing time remained associated with obesity in 3-5 year olds after controlling for confounders, but this link became non-significant after adjusting for total energy intake.
  • Physical activity status was an independent predictor of obesity.

Conclusions:

  • The association between TV viewing time and childhood obesity appears mediated by increased total energy intake during viewing, rather than being an independent factor.
  • Physical activity remains a crucial independent factor in preventing childhood obesity.
  • Interventions should focus on reducing energy intake associated with sedentary behaviors like TV watching.

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