Decrease in television viewing predicts lower body mass index at 1-year follow-up in adolescents, but not adults
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Simone A French1, Nathan R Mitchell, Peter J Hannan
1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. frenc001@umn.edu
Objective:
To examine associations between television viewing, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, eating out, physical activity, and body weight change over 1 year.
Design:
Secondary data analysis from randomized intervention trial.
Setting:
Households in the community.
Participants:
Adults (n = 153) and adolescents (n = 72) from the same households.
Intervention:
Households were randomized to a home-based obesity prevention intervention or to a no-intervention control group for a 1-year period.
Main Outcome Measures:
Self-reported television viewing (TV) hours, diet, and physical activity. Body mass index (BMI) computed from measured weight and height (primary outcome measure).
Analysis:
Mixed-model regression.
Results:
Among adolescents, a significant prospective association was observed between decreases in television viewing hours and lower BMI z score at 1-year follow-up (decreased TV hours: BMI z score mean = 0.65; no change or increase TV hours: BMI z score = 0.92; P < .02). No significant prospective associations were observed among adults.
Conclusions And Implications:
Reducing television viewing may be an effective strategy to prevent excess weight gain among adolescents.
Related Concept Videos
Regression Toward the Mean
Obesity
Signs of Puberty
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...

