Hours in front of TV Increase Blood Pressure among Children

It's no secret that sedentary behavior contributes to obesity and chronically poor health. But not all sedentary behaviors are created equal, according to a new study that examines the link between blood pressure in children and their choice of inactive pastimes, including watching TV, using the computer and reading , TIME reports.

However, the researchers say they found -- apparently for the first time -- a link between sedentary behavior and elevated blood pressure in children aged 3 through 8. The findings suggest that increased media exposure for children may be much worse for children’s health than previously thought, the study's co-author Joe Eisenmann, PhD, says in a news release. Eisenmann is a professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Kinesiology and a former colleague of the study's lead author David Martinez-Gomez, BSc, of Iowa State University , WebMD reports.

Meanwhile, researchers found that kids sat still on average for five hours and spent about 1.5 hours in front of TV or computer screens.

While the fact that they did not move much was not significantly correlated to blood pressure readings, results showed that computer screen time and TV watching raised the kids' blood pressure , Inquirer reports.