Studies: Too Much TV Time Is Harmful To A Child's Health

The more time a child spends in front of a TV screen, whether it's watching television, movies, video games, or the internet, the more likely that child is to become obese or smoke.

That's the bottom line of a series of studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health, Yale University, and the California Public Medical Center.

The studies concurred that, in 75 percent of cases, the more time a child spent watching media, it led to negative health outcomes.

Researchers also concluded that children who get more media exposure are more likely to begin sexual activity earlier than those who do not.

The studies also showed a connection to drug and alcohol use and poorer school performance, but not at quite as high a rate.

Researchers are concerned because life is becoming so media-saturated in the 21st century that reducing media exposure can be extremely problematic.

One study found that a child who watches more than eight hours of TV a week at age 3 is more likely to be obese by age 7. That same study showed that most toddlers watch more than eight hours of TV a week.

The research underscores a study released by the RAND organization in November which showed adolescents who watch programs with sexual themes have a higher risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy.