Children who watch lots of TV may have poor bone health later in life

Consistently watching high levels of television during childhood and adolescence were linked with lower peak bone mass at age 20 years in a recent study.

In the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research study, hours of television watching per week were recorded by parental or self-report at 5, 8, 10, 14, 17 and 20 years of age in 1181 participants. Those who consistently watched ≥14 hours/week of television had lower bone mineral content than those who watched less television, even after adjusting for height, body mass, physical activity, calcium intake, vitamin D levels, alcohol, and smoking (all at age 20).

"Since attainment of optimal peak bone mass is protective against osteoporosis later in life, reducing sedentary time in children may have long-term skeletal benefits," the authors wrote.