Habits at Home May Reduce Child’s Risk of Obesity

In that previous studies have suggested that excessive television viewing, a lack of sleep and, a low frequency of family meals may individually contribute to childhood obesity,  Sarah E. Anderson, from Ohio State University (Ohio, USA), and colleagues assessed the impact of the combination of all three behaviors (eating dinner as a family, got adequate sleep, and limited their weekday television time) with obesity prevalence in a national sample of preschoolers.  The researchers found that each routine on its own was associated with lower obesity, and more routines translated to lower obesity prevalence among four-year olds. In addition, the link between the routines and lower obesity prevalence was also seen in children with and without other risk factors for obesity.  Most importantly, the team found that four-year olds living in homes that adhered to eating dinner as a family, got adequate sleep, and limited their weekday television time had an almost 40% lower prevalence of obesity than did children living in homes that practiced none of these routines.