The more time children spend in front of the TV set, the more likely they are to suffer from obesity, a recent survey of local kindergarten students indicates.

Medical experts are calling on local parents to become more aware of the problem and help their children build a healthy lifestyle.

The shanghai Health Education Institute studied students at 10 local kindergartens, finding that the more time the children spent watching TV, the more likely they were to have weight problems.

About 10.8 percent of children who watch less than one hour a day of TV are obese, the survey said. But that number rises to 11.9 percent for those who watch one to two hours of TV and 15.8 percent for those who spend more than three hours a day in front of the television set.

Experts explained that watching too much TV prevents children from engaging in physical exercises and many kids eat lots of snacks while watching the tube.

"In addition to genetic causes, obesity is mainly the result of social and family issues, such as an unhealthy lifestyle and rich diet," said Jiang Jinjin, director of the pediatric department at Changhai Hospital. "A static lifestyle of watching TV, playing computer games and doing homework contributes to children's growing weight."

She said many parents prefer their children watch TV at home instead of playing outside.

"Parents think television can keep their children quiet and teach them information. However, they should control how long their children spend in front of the TV," Jiang added.

Last year, the Shanghai Statistics Bureau reported that 15.2 percent of local children are obese. Some experts said that figure is low and the real number might be closer to 20 percent.

Source: Shanghai Daily