Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Internet, Alcohol, Sleeplessness Linked to Weight Gains

Spending more than sixteen hours per week online, not getting enough sleep, and drinking too much increase a teenaged girl's chances of gaining weight, according to a new study from Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Catherine Berkey examined lifestyle factors as they pertain to a teen's gaining weight over the course of one year. Using records from over 5,000 girls ages 14 to 21 years, Berkey determined the following:
  • Girls who spent long hours of recreational time on the Internet had a 57 percent risk of gaining at least four pounds a year.

  • Sleeping fewer than five hours a night and drinking more than two glasses of alcohol a week was also associated with weight gain.

  • Coffee drinking was not associated with weight gain.
This study appears in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Labels: research, weight_gain, factors

Posted By: Aspen Education Group