The study carried out by researchers from the public universities of Comahue and Río Negro, together with the Hospital Zonal de Bariloche revealed that 90% of children, regardless of their nutritional status, use devices before bed. They can be phones, tablets or computers.
“As a society we have been captured by the screens. Beyond the fact that they are associated with a sedentary lifestyle, with them the attention is dispersed. It is a global problem. They have captured not only children and adolescents but also adults and older adults who, for example, when taking care of grandchildren, put the screen on them. It would be interesting to reflect on these changes in the way we bond”, stated the expert Paola D’Adamo.
The screens -he clarified- alter the circadian rhythm (natural processes that respond to light and darkness) at bedtime. The recommendation is that the use of screens is less than 2 hours per day and remove them from the room.
They also found that about 50% of the children ate watching TV 4 times a week or more. These are 1.7 times more likely to present obesity.
“The idea – insisted D’Adamo – is to change habits that go beyond how many calories are ingested. Those who eat while watching television, for example, are more likely to be obese than those who do not because their attention is focused on something else. You have no record of what you are eating. You mechanize it. One must pay attention to one’s own body. If not, I eat out of inertia,” said the researcher. The research work that they did emphasized the need to have a greater body register and self-perception.
Peer rejection was higher in children with obesity (44%) than in those with normal weight. Although the difference is not significant, a marked trend is observed.
“This suggests difficulties in terms of social integration. They feel left out. This factor is also linked to stress”, summarized D’Adamo.
Germán Guaresti clarified that the study focuses on health and not on discrimination. “There are groups that talk about fatphobia. We reject any act of discrimination. Here the focus is on health. The acceptance of the bodies is implicit, ”he mentioned.
The objective of the study, say the researchers, is to change the perspective and understand the phenomenon of childhood overweight and obesity as “multidimensional” in order to approach it from the change in lifestyle.
“Obesity is emerging, but this high-stress lifestyle is leading us in that direction. We have to take more breaks, pay more attention to the things we doespecially in childhood to generate healthy habits around sleep hygiene that goes beyond how many hours you sleep,” said D’Adamo.
They suggested that families have meals with dialogue, without screens, in a harmonious climate. Go to sleep in silence or with soft music to prepare yourself for a good sleep. “Healthy habits should be worked on as a preventive and therapeutic strategy for the management of obesity and overweight from an early stage,” she concluded.
To comment on this note you must have your digital access.
Subscribe to add your opinion!
Subscribe